181 |
Gripper and process for manufacturing a gripper |
US15251432 |
2016-08-30 |
US09744674B2 |
2017-08-29 |
Eduard Schweigert; Jens Gräβle |
A gripper is described as including two lateral flanks that are directly or indirectly connected to each other at one end, providing a space between them including an actuator, the lateral boundaries of which space have at least one opening accessible from the outside. At least one louver runs across the opening and divides the opening such that the partial surfaces resulting from the louver limit or prevent accessibility to the opening. A method for manufacturing the gripper is also described. |
182 |
Compliant gripper with integrated position and grasping/interaction force sensing for microassembly |
US14873844 |
2015-10-02 |
US09708135B2 |
2017-07-18 |
Qingsong Xu |
A compliant gripper with integrated position and force sensors dedicated to automated micro-assembly tasks. The gripper possesses a larger gripping range with a bidirectional drive, and is capable of detecting grasping force and environmental interaction forces in horizontal and vertical axes. The gripper has a compliant rotary flexure bearing. The gripper further has a compliant mechanism with two-stage stiffness designed to provide force sensing with dual sensitivities in two measuring ranges to accommodate the grasping of objects with different sizes. The dual-sensitivity, dual-range force sensor provides finer and coarser force sensing in a small and large ranges, respectively. Analytical models are derived to predict the grasping range, force sensing sensitivities, and force measuring ranges. These models are verified by conducting finite-element analysis simulations. |
183 |
Piston supply method |
US14885251 |
2015-10-16 |
US09643312B2 |
2017-05-09 |
Hisayuki Sueoka; Yasuhiko Wakatsuki |
A piston supply apparatus includes a piston gripping portion and a piston supply portion. The piston supply portion includes a connecting rod gripping unit gripping the connecting rod of the piston placed in a preparation area, a guide member abutting against a skirt portion of the piston to match an axial direction of the piston with a predetermined specified direction, a moving unit moving the gripping unit from the preparation area to a supply position in air, and a pivoting unit making the gripping unit pivot such that the piston top portion of the piston in a downward state is set in an upward state. The piston supply apparatus further includes a pressing unit pressing the piston top portion of the piston made to pivot to the upward state against the guide member. |
184 |
Tracking-Enabled Extended Reach Tool System and Method |
US15358541 |
2016-11-22 |
US20170072557A1 |
2017-03-16 |
James J. Troy; Gary E. Georgeson; Paul S. Rutherford; Nathan R. Smith |
An extended-reach tool system may include a gimbal positioned adjacent a surface opening; an extended-reach arm having a tool and engaging the gimbal; a sensor system for measuring a position of the arm relative to the gimbal and a position and spatial orientation of the tool relative to the opening; a computer control that converts one or both of the rotational and linear measurements from the sensor system into spatial location representations for virtual representations of 3-D models of the workpiece and tool, determines a position and orientation of the tool relative to the opening and workpiece, and adjusts the virtual representations of the 3-D models of the workpiece and tool as the arm and tool move relative to the workpiece, representing a real-time orientation of the tool relative to the workpiece; and a display for displaying the virtual representations of the 3-D models of the workpiece and tool. |
185 |
Automatic Tire Loader/Unloader for Stacking/Unstacking Tires in a Trailer |
US15263849 |
2016-09-13 |
US20170057761A1 |
2017-03-02 |
Tim Criswell |
An automatic tire loader/unloader for stacking/unstacking tires in a trailer is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile base structure provides a support framework for a drive subassembly, conveyance subassembly, an industrial robot, a distance measurement subassembly, and a control subassembly. Under the operation of the control subassembly, tires advance through a powered transportation path to an industrial robot which places the tires within the trailer in a vertical stacking pattern or a rick-stacking pattern, for example. The control subassembly coordinates the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot and the activation of the drive subassembly based upon the distance measurement subassembly detecting objects, including tires, within a detection space, dimensions of the trailer provided to the control subassembly, and dimensions of the tires provided to the control subassembly. |
186 |
Systems and methods for sensing objects |
US14302273 |
2014-06-11 |
US09579801B2 |
2017-02-28 |
Nicholas Wettels |
Disclosed is a tactile sensing and integrated vision system that surmounts problems of existing systems. The tactile sensing skin can be formed into any shape, size, or form factor, including large areas. Computer-implemented algorithms can detect position-orientation and force-torque at landmark points for a given object set. The result is a modular sensing system that is highly scalable in terms of price, quantity, size and applications. Such skin technology and associated software can comprise a sensing package that integrates tactile and visual data with accompanying software for state estimation, situational awareness, and automatic control of machinery. The addition of tactile data can serve to constrain and/or augment visual pose estimation methods as well as provide pose estimation to visually occluded objects. |
187 |
GRIPPING APPARATUS INCLUDING PROTECTIVE MEMBER FOR PROTECTING OBJECT AND ROBOT APPARATUS INCLUDING THE GRIPPING APPARATUS |
US15140431 |
2016-04-27 |
US20160339588A1 |
2016-11-24 |
Yoshinori OCHIISHI |
A gripping apparatus is configured to grip an object by a claw. The gripping apparatus includes an electric circuit passing through a first claw body, the object, and a second claw body, and a conduction judgment part for judging as to whether or not the electric circuit is electrically conductive. The electric circuit is shut off by a protective member, which protects the object, but becomes electrically conductive when the claw bodies and the object are in direct contact with each other. |
188 |
Glass ribbon engagement system which includes a robot tooling device and a guidance device |
US14382907 |
2013-03-07 |
US09463993B2 |
2016-10-11 |
James William Brown; Shawn Rachelle Markham; Naiyue Zhou; Zepei Zhu |
A glass ribbon engagement system is described herein that includes a robot tooling device with suction cups configured to engage a first side of a glass ribbon, and a guidance device with one or more devices (e.g., air nozzles, cylinder-wheel units) which are configured to apply one or more local forces to a second side of the glass ribbon to shift the glass ribbon towards the suction cups to assist the suction cups in engaging and securing the first side of the glass ribbon. |
189 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USING VIBRATION TO RELEASE PARTS HELD BY A ROBOTIC GRIPPER |
US15148518 |
2016-05-06 |
US20160250757A1 |
2016-09-01 |
Harald Staab; Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge; William J. Eakins |
A robot has a gripper for gripping parts and releasing the gripped part at a destination position. The gripped part is vibrated at the destination position to cause the gripper to release the gripped part. The gripped part can be directly vibrated or vibrated by vibrating the mechanical structure of the gripper or by vibrating air in the gripper mechanical structure. The vibrator can connect the gripper to the robot. The vibrator can be inside or attached to the one or more of the articulated fingers of the gripper. The vibrations can be stopped when a sensor detects that the gripped part has been released or after the passage of a preset vibration time. |
190 |
Rotational hydraulic joints |
US13854693 |
2013-04-01 |
US09375852B2 |
2016-06-28 |
Jeffrey A. Rose; James Adam Rose; Stephen D. Rose; Raymond Cooper |
A rotational hydraulic joint may include an extension chamber and a retraction chamber. Each chamber may include an end cap and a piston that moves relative to the end cap. One or more ports may add and remove fluid from the chamber. The rotational hydraulic joint may rotate in a cyclical direction when fluid is added to the extension chamber and in a countercyclical direction when fluid is added to the retraction chamber. The chambers may each include a torus-shaped cavity. Bladders may prevent fluid from leaking out of the rotational hydraulic joint. Stationary and movable electrodes may be coupled to the end cap and piston respectively. A plurality of rotational hydraulic joints may be combined to create a compound joint. |
191 |
BIOMIMETIC BAG OPENING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING LINE |
US14609229 |
2015-01-29 |
US20160122055A1 |
2016-05-05 |
ZHENGBING FU; XINQUAN ZHANG; WEIDONG WU; JINGCHENG XU |
The present invention discloses a biomimetic bag opening device for an automatic filling line, comprising brackets left and right symmetrically arranged on the filling line for filling bags, the symmetrically arranged brackets moving in a horizontal relative motion respectively driven by a pull rod, a push bag plate facing the filling bag provided at a front end of the bracket, a row of gripper holes provided on the push bag plate in the upper and lower of the horizontal level respectively, two rows of grippers provided on the brackets behind the push bag plate and corresponding to the two rows of gripper holes, a gripper drive device driving two rows of grippers open or closed, and grasping fingertips of the grippers projecting or retracting from two rows of the upper and lower of the gripper holes. The present invention solves the problem that woven bags are automatically opened in a full-automatic weighing and packaging device, which can be used for the production of the non-lamination woven bag, semi-lamination woven bag and full-lamination woven bag. The grippers of present invention imitate the human fingers to grip woven bags and separate the bag mouth, the bag mouth can also be closed to prepare for next process after bagging completed, and structure installation and adjustment are convenient. |
192 |
Shoe horn apparatus and method |
US14523814 |
2014-10-24 |
US09326630B1 |
2016-05-03 |
Edward Showalter |
A shoe horn apparatus comprising: a handle at one end, a shoe horn at the other end and a shaft mounted between the handle and the shoe horn, wherein the shaft is attached at its upper end to the handle and at its lower end to the shoe horn; a spring loaded actuating member mounted near the handle, such that it can be actuated by a user with the same hand the user holds the handle with; a spring loaded grip member mounted near the shoe horn such that it can grip the back of a shoe between the back of the shoe horn and the grip member upon actuation or release of the actuating member by a user; and, a transmission mechanism mounted between the actuating member and the grip member. |
193 |
Piezoelectric actuator, robot hand, and robot |
US13487625 |
2012-06-04 |
US09318980B2 |
2016-04-19 |
Osamu Urano |
A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating body including a piezoelectric device; a driving circuit that supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric device; a phase difference detecting circuit that detects a phase difference between the driving signal and a detection signal detected based on vibration of the vibrating body; and a frequency controller that controls the frequency and power of the driving signal, wherein the frequency controller sets the power to an upper limit voltage value when the frequency is changed so that the phase difference falls within a predetermined range and sets the voltage to a lower limit voltage value smaller than the upper limit voltage value when the phase difference is outside the predetermined range. |
194 |
Non-contact interlocking assembly |
US13949551 |
2013-07-24 |
US09308955B2 |
2016-04-12 |
David T. Jones |
An interlocking assembly includes a frame, a first arm coupled to the frame, and a second arm coupled to the frame. The first arm and/or the second arm is moveable between an open position and a closed position, such that the first and second arms overlap to define a first area when the first and second arms are in the closed position. |
195 |
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MICRO-TRANSFER-PRINTING |
US14803997 |
2015-07-20 |
US20160020120A1 |
2016-01-21 |
Christopher Bower; Matthew Meitl; David Gomez; Salvatore Bonafede; David Kneeburg |
In an aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a receiving surface of a destination substrate is disclosed. In another aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a destination substrate with topographic features is disclosed. In another aspect, a gravity-assisted separation system and method for printing semiconductor device is disclosed. In another aspect, various features of a transfer device for printing semiconductor devices are disclosed. |
196 |
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MICRO-TRANSFER-PRINTING |
US14804047 |
2015-07-20 |
US20160016399A1 |
2016-01-21 |
Christopher Bower; Matthew Meitl; David Gomez; Salvatore Bonafede; David Kneeburg |
In an aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a receiving surface of a destination substrate is disclosed. In another aspect, a system and method for assembling a semiconductor device on a destination substrate with topographic features is disclosed. In another aspect, a gravity-assisted separation system and method for printing semiconductor device is disclosed. In another aspect, various features of a transfer device for printing semiconductor devices are disclosed. |
197 |
ASSEMBLY SYSTEM |
US14771160 |
2014-02-25 |
US20160001537A1 |
2016-01-07 |
Massimo DE ROSSI; Alessandro FORNARI |
A system (1) and a method for assembling laminated structures utilising a robot (10) for collecting and placing sheet-shaped material, further utilising an adhesive applicator (13) which is collected from an adhesive applicator rest station (14) by the robot (10), is used to apply adhesive to the sheet-shaped material, and is then returned to the adhesive applicator rest station (14). |
198 |
Touch sensitive robotic gripper |
US13790801 |
2013-03-08 |
US09205567B2 |
2015-12-08 |
Jeffrey A. Rose; James Adam Rose; Stephen D. Rose; Raymond Cooper |
A displacement measuring cell may be used to measure linear and/or angular displacement. The displacement measuring cell may include movable and stationary electrodes in a conductive fluid. Electrical property measurements may be used to determine how far the movable electrode has moved relative to the stationary electrode. The displacement measuring cell may include pistons and/or flexible walls. The displacement measuring cell may be used in a touch-sensitive robotic gripper. The touch-sensitive robotic gripper may include a plurality of displacement measuring cells mechanically in series and/or parallel. The touch-sensitive robotic gripper may be include a processor and/or memory configured to identify objects based on displacement measurements and/or other measurements. The processor may determine how to manipulate the object based on its identity. |
199 |
NUT RUNNER WITH CORE RUNOUT PREVENTING MECHANISM |
US14714832 |
2015-05-18 |
US20150343579A1 |
2015-12-03 |
Takanobu UENO; Yoshihide MAEDA |
A nut runner which comprises a socket holder attached to a tip end of an output shaft, a slide mechanism unit for extending and retracting the output shaft in the axial direction, a pushing unit for pushing the output shaft toward the tip end side in the axial direction, during a screw tightening operation, in cooperation with the slide mechanism unit, and a supporting unit for supporting a socket retained by the socket holder while allowing a nut runner driving unit to rotate and axially move the socket. |
200 |
Robot, robot hand, and method for adjusting holding position of robot hand |
US13726615 |
2012-12-26 |
US09199375B2 |
2015-12-01 |
Tetsuya Miyoshi |
A robot includes a robot hand, an arm unit, and a controller. The robot hand includes a movable portion. To the arm unit, the robot hand is mounted. The controller is configured to control the arm unit to move the movable portion of the robot hand so as to adjust a holding position of the robot hand relative to a to-be-held object. |