EP0194386A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sensor and control system for a robotic gripper
Assignee: Manufacturing Joint Ventures International Ltd
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Filing: 1985-12-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-12-23
Abstract
Abstract In a control system for a robotic gripper a processing circuit (10) controls movement of the gripper (20) on a prearranged path. An article (A) held by gripper (20) comes into contact with the probe member (32) of a "known-down" sensor (30). A support assembly (33), on which the probe member (32) is mounted, is displaced with respect to a base member (31) allowing a continuous, uninhibited movement of the gripper along the path, even after contact has been established. In an alternative arrangement the sensor is mounted on the gripper and establishes contact with an article located at a fixed work station.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Ashton
- 👤 Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 01:04
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01B; G01B7/00; G01B7/002; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/42; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/36; G05B2219/36357; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P90/00; Y02P90/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A control system for a robotic gripper, the control system including a processing circuit for controlling movement of the gripper on a prearranged path so as to establish, at a position intermediate the ends of said path, contact between a sensor mounted on the gripper, or at a reference position, and an article respectively located at a workstation, or carried by the gripper, the sensor being arranged to generate an electrical signal in response to a said contact being established and said electrical signal being utilised by the processing circuit to evaluate the position of the article with respect to said reference position or the gripper, the sensor including a probe member displaceable with respect to a base portion of the sensor so as to allow a substantially continuous, uninhibited movement of the gripper on said path, beyond said intermediate position, even after a said contact has been established.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
A control system for a robotic gripper, the control system including a processing circuit for controlling movement of the gripper on a prearranged path so as to establish, at a position intermediate the ends of said path, contact between a sensor mounted on the gripper, or at a reference position, and an article respectively located at a workstation, or carried by the gripper, the sensor being arranged to generate an electrical signal in response to a said contact being established and said electrical signal being utilised by the processing circuit to evaluate the position of the article with respect to said reference position or the gripper, the sensor including a probe member displaceable with respect to a base portion of the sensor so as to allow a substantially continuous, uninhibited movement of the gripper on said path, beyond said intermediate position, even after a said contact has been established.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A control system according to Claim 1 wherein said probe member is mounted on a support assembly, displaceable with respect to said base portion, and means resiliently couple the support assembly and the base portion to return the probe member, when displaced, towards a stable position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A control system according to Claim 2 wherein said probe member is also temporarily displaceable with respect to the support assembly and is provided with detection means responsive to an initial displacement of the probe member, with respect to the support assembly due to contact being established, to generate a said electrical signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system according to Claim 3 wherein said support assembly, base portion and probe member are so arranged with respect to one another that displacement of the support assembly with respect to the base portion can only occur provided the probe member is first displaced, by a preset amount, with respect to the support assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A control system according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said processing circuit is conditioned to modify said path in dependence on a said evaluation of the position of the article with respect to said reference position or the gripper.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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