ARRANGEMENT FOR PIVOT LINK-FORMING MEANS

Abstract: A pressure medium-operated, pivot link-forming means, for example for robot arm, gripping and holding member or similar body (16), which is readjustable from a bent together position to a straightened out position and vice versa. The means (the body 16) is made of a flexible wall material, of a first type of wall portion having one or more locally defined, internal pocket formations (11) with associated pressure medium conduit (21) and of a second type of wall portions without such pocket formations. The first type of wall material is adapted to be deformed by inflating the pocket formation(s) and equivalently contracting the breadth or length of the adjacent wall portion. The second type of wall material forms a bracing portion for the wall portion(s) of the first type of wall material. The first type of wall portion is arranged spaced relative to the second type of wall portion so that the first type of wall portion can be bent together relative to the second type of wall portion by loading the pocket formation(s) (11) with pressure medium and can be straightened out relative to the second type of wall portion by discharging pressure medium from the pocket formation(s).

Description: ARRANGEMENT FOR PIVOT LINK-FORMING MEANS The present invention relates to an arrangement of pressure medium-(hydraulically or pneumatically) operated, pivot link-forming means, for example for robot arm, grip¬ ping and holding member or similar body, which is read¬ justable from a bent together position to a straightened out position, and vice versa. Conventional robot arms, and gripping and holding members and various carrying members have hitherto had a relatively complicated mechanical design and an equiva¬ lently complicated mode of operation. With the present invention the aim is an especially simple constructional solution which provides the basis for a relatively simple mode of operation. The arrangement is characterised in that the pivot link-forming means is made of a flexible wall material, of a first type of wall portion having one or more locally defined, internal pocket formations with associated press¬ ure medium conduit and of a second type of wall portion without such pocket formation, the first type of wall material on pressure medium loading of the pocket forma¬ tions) being adapted to be deformed by inflating the pocket formation and equivalently contracting the breadth or length of the adjacent wall portion, while the second type of wall material, which if necessary can be provided with locally arranged, possibly separately inflatable internal ducts with associated pressure medium conduit, forms a bracing portion for wall portion(s) of the first type of wall material, and that the first type of wall portion is arranged spaced relative to the second type of wall portion so that the first type of wall portion can be bent together relative to the second type of wall portion by loading the pocket formation(s) with pressure medium and can be straightened out relative to the second type of wall portion by discharging pressure medium from the pocket formation(s) and/or by pressure loading the inter¬ nal ducts in the second type of wall material. According to the invention deformed wall material in the arrangement can be obtained with a simple conduit sys¬ tem and associated pocket formations or ducts by means of pressure medium in such a way that the arrangement can be deflected sideways or can be bent about a transverse axis, so that a link bending can be achieved, without being dependent upon a concrete pivot pin or similar concrete pivotal axis. It is preferred that the first and the second type of wall material are arranged in one and the same sheet- shaped member for altering the outline of the sheet rela¬ tive to a main plane through the sheet. According to an alternative solution it is preferred that the first and the second type of wall material are arranged in one and the same pipe-shaped or bell-like member for bending of the member to a curved or folded outline. By this there is the possibility of allowing the arrangement to form a part of one piece with a single robot arm or a single arm construction with associated gripping or holding member. A particular advantage is that the bending-producing means or the straightening out means can be built into the wall material of the arrangement, that is to say in the wall material in a robot arm or in the wall material in a gripping or holding member. It is especially preferred for constructional rea¬ sons that the means is provided with certain sections of the first type of wall material arranged just by, or be¬ tween certain sections of the second type of wall mate¬ rial, the second type of wall material being provided with ducts or duct systems which are adapted to be loaded with pressure medium separately and independently of the load¬ ing of pocket formations of the first type of wall mate¬ rial. Further features of the present invention will be evident from the following description having regard to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows in part a member of an arrangement according to the invention, illustrated in a plan repre¬ sentation in its simplest form and shown in an inactive position. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement according to Fig. 1 illustrated in vertical section. Fig. 3 shows the arrangement according to Fig. 1 and 2 in a pressure-loaded condition. Fig. 4 shows the arrangement according to Fig. 3 illustrated in vertical section. Fig. 5 and 6 show in a corresponding representation and section to Fig. 3 and 4 an alternative construction of the arrangement in a pressure-loaded condition. Fig. 7 and 8 show in longitudinal section a third construction of the arrangement, illustrated respectively in straightened out and in bent condition. Fig. 9 shows the arrangment according to the inven¬ tion according to a fourth construction illustrated sche¬ matically in perspective view. In Fig. 1 and 2 there is shown a wall material 10 of for example reinforced, vulcanised rubber material (or similar flexible material), consisting of an external wall layer 10a and an internal wall layer 10b, having a locally defined ' intermediate pocket formation 11 and an associated guide duct 12 together with compressed air conduit 13. In Fig. 3 and 4 pocket formation 11 of the wall material 10 is shown in a pressure-loaded condition. As a result of the inflation of the pocket formation 11 con¬ traction of the material lOd is obtained relative to the material lOe on oppsite sides of the pocket formation 11 and an equivalent close packing together of the material along longitudinal side edges 10c of the pocket formation. By means of said contraction of wall material of the arrangement a lateral local bulging of the wall material can be produced as shown by arrows 14 with an equivalent local longitudinal contraction of the arrangement as indi¬ cated by the arrows 15. In Fig. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a solution as shown correspondingly in Fig. 3 and 4 with the only diffe¬ rence that two pocket formations 11 coupled in series are employed instead of the one illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4. By the solution according to Fig. 5 and 6 it is evident that a contraction is obtained twice as big as in the solution according to Fig. 1-4. In fig. 7 and 8 there are employed three pocket for¬ mations 11 coupled in series on the one side 16a of a pipe-shaped body 16 made of a material as shown corre-- spondingly in Fig. 1-4 (and in Fig. 5 and 6). The said pocket formations 11 are arranged longitudinally in rows palallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, that is to say in a relatively restricted strip-shaped portion on one side 16a of the body. This strip-shaped portion can con¬ stitute the portion of the first type recited in the in- trodution of the specification and in the claims. The re¬ maining wall portion of the body is composed of an equi¬ valent material, made up of said two layers 10a and 10b, and can constitute the second type of wall portion as recited in the introduction of the specification and in the claims. By inflating the pocket formations 11 on the one side 16a of the body a contraction is obtained of one side 16a of the body, while a bending of the opposite side 16b of the body is correspondingly produced. The result is the production of a bending curvature of about 90°C. By discharging the pressure in the pocket formations 11 according to Fig. 7 and 8 the body 16 is adapted to be returned from the position in Fig. 8 to the original con¬ dition as shown in Fig. 7 by means of the inherent elastic forces which are produced in the position according to Fig. 8. By a simple pressure medium loading of the pocket formations 11 there can be obtained by this an effective bending of the body 16 from the position illustrated in Fig. 7 to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 and similarly by a simple pressure medium discharge of the pocket for¬ mations a straightening out for the body again to the original conditions as shown in Fig. 7. The source of pressure medium and control means in connection with the same is not shown further herein, since such equipment is well known to the skilled person and does not need to represent any problems. Even if it is not expressly illustrated herein, it is apparent that the hollow space 17 within the pipe- shaped body can if necessary be pressure medium loaded according to need and desire, more or less independently of the pressure medium loading of the pocket formations. Alternatively, by for example using the body as a robot arm, the hollow space 17 can receive conduits to an aggre¬ gate which is to cooperate with the robot arm or is carried by the robot arm. It is also possible to receive different types of filing material in said hollow space, for example foam material or other material which has the possibility of being deformed to a certain degree, but then controlled in a certain manner. It is also possible to employ additional bracing means, if desired linked, longitudinal bracing means or annular bracing means for local bracing of the hollow space. In Fig. 9 there is shown an alternative construction where the arrangement has the form of a funnel-shaped body 18. Purely schematically there are shown on the one side 18a of the body 18 two pocket formations 11 which are arranged longitudinally in a row in the body 18 and are connected in series with each other via a duct 19 and are connected to a common pressure medium duct 20 and a common pressure medium conduit 21. On the opposite side 18b of the body there is shown a duct 22 which runs longitudi¬ nally in the body 18 and which communicates with an annu¬ lar duct 23 at the widest, free outer end 18d of the body 18. At 24 there is shown a pressure medium conduit which is physically separated from the pressure medium conduit 21 and which can be supplied with pressure medium sepa¬ rately. In the region 18c (a region 18c on each opposite side of the body) between the two opposite sides 18a and 18b there is arranged a duct 25 which branches off in the shape of a star as shown at 25a-25g over large portions of the region 18c. The duct 25 is supplied with pressure medium separately via a third pressure medium conduit 26. By pressure loading the ducts 22 and 25 via the associated pressure medium conduits 24 and 26a dilation of the funnel-shaped body 18 can be obtained, such as shown in Fig. 9. In addition by pressure loading the pocket for¬ mations 11 via the pressure medium conduit 21, a contrac¬ tion can be obtained locally in one side of the body 18. This will involve the free outer end 18d of the body being turned with the opening towards the left in Fig. 9, with the funnel shape maintained unaltered or substantially un¬ altered with the exception of one longitudinally contrac¬ ted side 18a of the body. By pressure loading the ducts 19 and 25 and pressure discharging the duct 23 the opening at the free outer end of the body can be deformed to a greater or lesser degree as required at the same time as the body remaining is de¬ formed in a set manner determined by the duct 25 with the branchings 25a-25g on each opposite side of the body. By pressure loading the ducts 19 and 23 and pressure discharging the ducts 25 (on opposite sides of the body) or only pressure discharging the one of the ducts 25, the shape of the body 18 can be correspondingly regulated while the opening at the free outer end of the body is kept relatively uniformly dilated. Consequently it is possible by means of separate pressure medium supply and pressure medium discharge to move and change the shape of the body 18, so that this can carry out various desired working operations as a gripping or holding member or as a carrying member for another con¬ nected aggregate besides. The aggragate can for example be shieldably received within the body 18. By pivoting the opening of the body 18 the aggragate can then be pivoted similarly. Instead of the illustrated funnel shape for the body 18 a body can be employed with a cylindrical shape of with a multi-edged (three, four edged etc.) elliptically shaped or other cross-sectional form, where the shape can govern in which direction the body is to be bent or altered in shape in another way.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS. 1. Arrangement of pressure medium- (hydraulically or pneumatically) operated, pivot link-forming means, for example for robot arm, gripping and holding member or similar body (16,18), which is readjustable from a bent together position to a straightened out position and vice verca, characterised in that the pivot link-forming means (the body 16,18) is made of a flexible wall material, of a first type of wall portion having one or more locally defined, internal pocket formations (11) with associated pressure medium conduit (21) and of a second type of wall portion without such pocket formation, the first type of wall material on pressure medium loading of the pocket formation(s) (11) being adapted to be deformed by infla¬ ting the pocket formation(s) and equivalently contracting the breadth or length of the adjacent wall portion, while the second type of wall material, which if necessary can be provided with locally arranged, possibly separately inflatable internal ducts (22,23;25,25a-25g) with associ¬ ated pressure medium conduit (24,26), forms a bracing por¬ tion for the wall portion(s) of the first type of wall material, and that the first type of wall portion is arranged spaced relative to the second type of wall por¬ tion so that the first type of wall portion can be bent together relative to the second type of wall portion by loading the pocket formation(s) (11) with pressure medium and can be straightened out relative to the second type of wall portion by discharging pressure medium from the pocket formation(s) and/or by pressure loading the inter¬ nal ducts (22,23;25,25a-25g) in the second type of wall material. 2. Arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characteri¬ sed in that the first and the second type of wall material are arranged in one and the same sheet-shaped member (Fig. 7,8 and Fig. 9) for altering the outline of the sheet relative to a main plane through the sheet. 3. Arrangement in accordance with claim 1, characteri¬ sed in that the first and the second type of wall material are arranged in one and the same pipe-shaped (Fig. 7,8) or bell-shaped (Fig. 9) member for bending of the member to a curved or folded contour. 4. Arrangement in accordance with one of the claims 1-3, characterised in that the means is provided with cer¬ tain sections of the first type of wall material arranged just by or between certain sections of the second type of wall material, the second type of wall material being pro¬ vided with ducts (22,23;25,25a-25g) or duct systems, which are adapted to be loaded with pressure medium separately and independently of the loading of pocket formations (11) of the first type of wall material.

Inventors: HAUGS AUDUN, HAUGS, AUDUN
Applicants: MICHELSENS CHR INST, CHR. MICHELSENS INSTITUTT
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B25J15
IPC codes: B25J15, B25J18