EP0066394A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pick and place robot
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1982-05-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-05-14
Abstract
Abstract A pick and place robot is provided in which support means 10 carries a rotatable turret 12, which in turn has one end of the pick and place arm 14 pivotally carried therefrom, the arm carrying a working tool 16 at its other end supported in rotatable relation and connected to constant orientation means 62, ε4, 66 which maintains the working tool in a given disposition throughout the extent of the swing of the arm from a pick to a place location, both the turret and the arm being driven independently by its own drive means.
Inventors
- 👤 Lanson Yatsang Shum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 05:37
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/10; B25J9/14; B25J9/146; B25J9/148; B25J9/02; B25J9/04; B25J9/046; B25J9/104; B25J9/106
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A robot structure of the pick and place type, comprising: a swinging arm having one end portion thereof connected to a base structure for pivotal swinging movement about one axis to carry the opposite end portion of said arm through an arc of up to at least about a half circle; a working tool, such as a gripper, mounted at said opposite end portion of said arm to grip and carry an object; first arm-drive means carried by said structure and connected to drive said arm in said swinging movement; and constant-orientation means connected to said base structure at said one end portion of said arm and connected to manipulate a position of said working tool at said other end portion of said arm to maintain the orientation of the axis of said working tool in a predetermined orientation irrespective of the swinging movement of said arm so that a space-orientation of the object being carried from a pick location to a place location by the working tool of the robot remains the same between the two locations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A robot structure of the pick and place type, comprising: a swinging arm having one end portion thereof connected to a base structure for pivotal swinging movement about one axis to carry the opposite end portion of said arm through an arc of up to at least about a half circle; a working tool, such as a gripper, mounted at said opposite end portion of said arm to grip and carry an object; first arm-drive means carried by said structure and connected to drive said arm in said swinging movement; and constant-orientation means connected to said base structure at said one end portion of said arm and connected to manipulate a position of said working tool at said other end portion of said arm to maintain the orientation of the axis of said working tool in a predetermined orientation irrespective of the swinging movement of said arm so that a space-orientation of the object being carried from a pick location to a place location by the working tool of the robot remains the same between the two locations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
108 words
The robot structure according to claim 1 wherein: said constant orientation means includes toothed linking means including a first sprocket fixed against rotation to said structure, a second sprocket rotatably carried by said arm at said other end portion thereof, said second sprocket being fixedly connected to said working tool to effect rotation of said tool in accordance with rotation of said second sprocket, and toothed linking belt means connecting said sprockets so that as said arm is swung, said linking means walks around said first sprocket and effects rotation of said second sprocket relative to said arm in accordance with the degree of swing of said arm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
The robot structure according to claim 1, comprising: a rotatable turret carried by said support structure for rotation about one axis; said arm having one end portion pivotally carried by said turret for swinging movement of the arm about a second axis normal to said one axis to carry the other end portion of the arm through an arc of up to about a half circle; and second drive means carried by said support structure, and operable independently of said first drive means to rotate said turret.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A robot structure according to claim 3 wherein: said first drive means is supported by said support structure and connected through said turret to effect swinging of said arm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
113 words
A robot structure according to claim 4 wherein: said constant orientation means includes a linking mechanism including a first sprocket fixed against rotation to said turret in a location concentric to said second axis, a second sprocket rotatably connected to said arm at said other end portion of said arm, said second sprocket being fixedly connected to said working tool to effect rotation of said tool in accordance with rotation of said second sprocket, and toothed linking means connecting said sprockets so that as said arm is swung, said linking means walks around said first sprocket and effects rotation of said second sprocket in accordance with the degree of swing of said arm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
95 words
A robot structure according to claim 3 wherein: said second drive means comprises a stacked series of pneumatic vane actuators, each actuator including a shaft and a body, with successive actuators being joined together in fixed shaft-to-shaft relation, and alternately together in fixed body-to-body relation to provide a cascading arrangement; and means for selectively operating said vane actuators independently of each other so that each may be operated solely to yield one set of rotative positions, and in additive relation to one or more of the other actuators to yield another set of rotative positions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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