Patent EP-2476502-A1 (EP)
Inventor: CHEVASSU DANIEL
IPC: B23K11/31
Filed: 2007-05-16
Abstract: The gripper for clamping plates and useful in combination with a manipulator arm such as robot, comprises a rigid frame connected to a support such as a rigid foot or the robot, a mobile subassembly connected to the frame, and a balancing module introducing an additional degree of freedom in translation or rotation between the supports. The mobile subassembly is intended to balance the forces exerted on the ends of a fixed and a mobile arm (8) in closing position. The balancing module is transported to an exterior of the mobile subassembly and the frame. The gripper for clamping plates and useful in combination with a manipulator arm such as robot, comprises a rigid frame connected to a support such as a rigid foot or the robot, a mobile subassembly connected to the frame, and a balancing module introducing an additional degree of freedom in translation or rotation between the supports. The mobile subassembly is intended to balance the forces exerted on the ends of a fixed and a mobile arm (8) in closing position. The balancing module is transported to an exterior of the mobile subassembly and the frame, and is combined with a calibrating unit to restore and maintain the subassembly in a position of reference by adjoining with the respect to the support. The mobile subassembly comprises first fixed arm (3), second mobile arm and an actuator (4) supported on the fixed arm for moving the mobile arm with respect to the fixed arm according to a first degree of freedom in translation or rotation to close or open the gripper for holding an assembly of plates between the fixed and mobile arms or to release the assembling of plates. The balancing module is connected to a docking unit, which allows the fixed end (2) to get contact with assembling of plates by shifting of the subassembly after liberation of the degree of freedom following an initial positioning of the open gripper with an initial clearance between the assembling of plates and fixed end. The balancing module is mounted in an interface between two parts of the support and an interface between the support and frame and/or mobile subassembly, and is fixed on a frame flange supporting the subassembly and/or an actuating body of the subassembly. The first part of the support is connected with frame and/or subassembly, and the second part constitutes the rest of the support or is connected with the rest of the support. The balancing module allows the movement of the subassembly in translation or rotation and of the frame with respect to the support. The balancing module comprises a guiding cassette of the relative movement according to the additional degree of freedom between subassembly with its frame and support, balancing elastic units allowing a body to guide in the guiding cassette in an antagonistic manner, and an actuator for docking, calibrating and blocking the subassembly in calibrated position. The balancing module is placed on a gripper with a linear movement of mobile arm with respect to the fixed arm so that the movement in translation is controlled by the module, which is parallel to displacements of mobile arm and perpendicular to the plate assembling plane, and on a gripper with a rotational movement of the mobile arm with respect to the fixed arm so that the movement in translation is controlled by the module, which is perpendicular to the plate assembly plane and parallel to a direction of two electrodes end in closing position of the gripper. The balancing module is mounted on a first face of an interface plate, which is turned towards the body fixed with the support. A second side of the interface plate is equipped by rigid fixing unit of fixed arm and actuator of the subassembly. A soldering transducer is integrated in the entire subassembly and frame, is fixed with frame and/or fixed arm, and is rigidly fixed with the second face of the interface plate. The interface plate is pierced with an opening passage arranged for receiving an articulating axis of mobile arm in rotation, where the articulating axis is mounted in a reinforcing plate fixed between the axis of articulation and soldering actuator. Electrical conductors are fixed on an exit of the soldering transducer and are intended in electric supply to mobile and fixed arms of the subassembly. The conductors are intended to fixed arm, which is extending from the exit of transducer to a tightening sleeve. The guiding cassette comprises a rectangular rigid frame and a barrette connected to a rod of a linear actuator of jack. A cylinder is fixed to the frame of the cassette, where the frame is fixed directly or with rigid support with manipulator or rigid foot, or reversely, the frame is fixed rigidly to the first face of the interface plate. The rigid subassembly constituted by columns and bars is fixed directly or by support with rigid manipulator arm or the rigid foot so that the actuator is able to control docking and calibration. A guiding column is surrounded by two antagonistic helical springs supported by each end on the frame and by other end on one of the bars. Opposite side of the spring, or the actuator is pneumatic with two chambers of gas under pressure of a piston connecting rigidly by rod with the bars to form two antagonistic elastic balancing unit.