Patent ID: 6669257
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: B25J

Abstract:
A power switching mechanism for selectively connecting a robotic system having a two-degrees-of-freedom power input to a robot tool having at least two actuators, with said two-degrees-of-freedom power input comprising a translation power input and a power shaft rotation input, said power switching mechanism comprising:an axially displaceable connector mounted to said power shaft rotation input for rotating therewith; an indexing mechanism connected to said two-degrees-of-freedom power input and having at least three abutment positions engageable sequentially in a reciprocal movement of the translation power input such that the indexing mechanism is axially movable sequentially between a neutral position and an actuator engaging position for each said actuator, with the neutral position and the actuator engaging positions each associated with a respective one of the abutment positions; wherein the axially displaceable connector engages any one of said actuators as a function of the abutment positions of the indexing mechanism.