Abstract:
A clamping apparatus includes a motor, a first cone gear secured to a shaft of the motor, and two clamping bodies attached to opposite sides of the motor. Each of the clamping bodies includes a second cone gear meshing with the first, a threaded post fixed to the second cone gear, a carriage threadedly connected with the threaded post, and a clamp arm fixed to the carriage. The motor rotates the first cone gear, and in turn the second cone gears and the corresponding threaded posts. With the rotation of the threaded posts, the carriages move towards or away from each other, whereby the clamp arms cooperatively acquire an object between the clamp arms, or release the object therefrom.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a clamp apparatus for retrieving an object. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Mechanical arms are widely used in manufacturing, to retrieve products or tools. For example, in testing of printed circuit boards (PCBs), mechanical arms retrieve and precisely position detection rods on the PCBs, increasing accuracy and efficiency of testing. However, a clamp apparatus operable at an end of a mechanical arm is usually pneumatic or hydraulic with associated complex circuit structure. Maintenance of the pneumatic or hydraulic circuit structure is time and labor consuming. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a clamp apparatus including two clamp bodies. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, enlarged view of one of the clamp bodies of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is assembled, isometric view of the clamp apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but shows the clamp apparatus clamping a detection rod. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment, a clamp apparatus includes a motor  10 , a driving member  20 , and two clamp bodies  30 . 
     The motor  10  includes a main body  11 , a shaft  12  extending from a first end of the main body  11 , and a mount  14  attached to a second end opposite to the first end of the main body  11 . 
     The driving member  20  includes a first cone gear  23  and a cylindrical fixing portion  21  extending from a side of the first cone gear  23 . A mounting hole (not shown) is axially defined in the fixing portion  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of the clamp bodies  30  includes a mounting bracket  31 , a threaded post  32 , a carriage  33 , a connecting member  34 , a clamp arm  35 , and a driven member  36 . The mounting bracket  31  includes an attachment plate  312  and a coupling portion  314  connected to the attachment plate  312 . The coupling portion  314  is a rectangular hollow bar, and includes a first sidewall  3141  integrally formed with an end of the attachment plate  312 , two second sidewalls  3142  respectively extending perpendicular from opposite sides of the first sidewall  3141 , and two end walls  3144  respectively extending perpendicular from opposite ends of the first sidewall  3141 . Two pivot holes  3143  are respectively defined in the end walls  3144  and aligned with each other. A receiving space  3146  is bound by the first sidewall  3141 , the second sidewalls  3142 , and the end walls  3144 . A securing hole  321  is defined in the threaded post  32  adjacent to one of opposite ends  320  of the threaded post  32 . The carriage  33  is a cubic block, and includes a first wall  331 , a second wall  334  perpendicularly connected to a first side of the first wall  331 , a third wall  335  parallel to the second wall  334  and perpendicularly connected to a second side opposite to the first side of the first wall  331 , a top wall  338  perpendicularly connected to tops of the first to third walls  331 ,  334  and  335 , and a bottom wall  339  perpendicularly connected to bottoms of the first to third walls  331 ,  334 , and  335 . Two parallel sliding slots  332  are defined in the first wall  331 , through the second wall  334  and the third wall  335 . The second wall  334  defines a threaded hole  336 . Each of the top and bottom walls  338  and  339  of the carriage  33  defines a pair of fastener holes  337 , away from the first wall  331 . The connecting member  34  includes a curved elbow portion  343  and two parallel connecting pieces  341  extending from a first end  3431  of the elbow portion  343 . A retaining groove  3414  is defined in a second end  3432  of the elbow portion  343 . Each of the connecting pieces  341  defines a pair of fastening holes  3416 , adjacent to the elbow portion  343 . The clamp arm  35  includes a mounting portion  351  extending from a first end thereof. A plurality of teeth  353  is formed on a side of the clamp arm  35 , adjacent to a second end opposite to the mounting portion  351  of the clamp arm  35 . The driven member  36  includes a second cone gear  363  and a cylindrical fixing portion  361  extending from a side of the second cone gear  363 . A mounting hole  3612  is axially defined in the fixing portion  361 . A securing hole  3614  is defined in a circumference of the fixing portion  361 , communicating with the mounting hole  3612 . 
     In assembly of each of the clamp bodies  30 , the clamp arm  35  is connected to the connecting member  34 , with the mounting portion  351  of the clamp arm  35  engaging the retaining groove  3414  of the elbow portion  343  of the connecting member  34 . The carriage  33  is sandwiched between the connecting pieces  341 , and retained to the connecting pieces  31  with two pairs of fasteners (not labeled) correspondingly passing through the corresponding pairs of fastening holes  3416  of the connecting pieces  31  and engaging the corresponding pairs of fastener holes  337  of the carriage  33 . The second sidewalls  3142  of the coupling portion  314  of the mounting bracket  31  are correspondingly received in the sliding slots  332  of the carriage  33  through the first wall  331 , at the same time, a portion between the sliding slots  332  of the carriage  33  is received in the receiving space  3146  of the coupling portion  314 , rendering carriage  33  slidable between the end walls  3144  along the second sidewalls  3142 . The threaded hole  336  of the guiding portion  334  of the carriage  33  aligns with the pivot holes  3143  of the coupling portion  314 . The threaded post  32  passes through the pivot holes  3143  of the coupling portion  314  and engages the threaded hole  336  of the carriage  33 . The end  320  of the threaded post  32  near the securing hole  321  engages the mounting hole  3612  of the fixing portion  361  of the driven member  36 , a pin is received in the securing hole  3614  of the fixing portion  361  and engages the securing hole  321  of the threaded post  32 , to secure the driven member  36  to the threaded post  32 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in assembly, the driving member  20  is retained to the motor  10 , with the shaft  12  of the motor  10  fixed in the mounting hole of the fixing portion  21  of the driving member  20 . The attachment plates  312  of the clamp bodies  30  abut opposite sides of the motor  10 , with the sides forming the plurality of teeth  353  of the clamp arms  35  of the clamp bodies  30  facing each other. Fastening members, such as fasteners, are provided to fix the attachment plate  312  of the clamp bodies  30  to the mount  14  of the motor  10 . At the same time, the second cone gears  363  of the driven members  36  of the clamp bodies  30  mesh with the first cone gear  23  of driving member  20 , with rotating axes P 2  of the driven members  36  perpendicular to a rotating axis P 1  of the driving member  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the clamp apparatus is provided to clamp a detection rod  100 . To clamp the detection rod  100 , the motor  10  is powered on to rotate the driving member  20  in a first direction, whereby the driven members  36  together with the corresponding threaded posts  32  of the clamp bodies  30  reversely rotate by meshing of the first cone gear  23  and the second cone gears  363  of the driven members  36 . With rotation of the threaded posts  32 , the carriages  33  of the clamp bodies  30  slide away from each other, such that clamp arms  35  of the clamp bodies  33  move with the carriages  33  away from each other. The motor  10  is stopped when a distance between the clamp arms  35  is wide enough to accommodate the detection rod  100  between the clamp arms  35 . The clamp apparatus is moved to acquire the detection rod  100  between the clamp arms  35 . The motor  10  is powered on to drive the driving member  20  to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction, whereby the driven members  36  together with the corresponding threaded posts  32  of the clamp bodies  30  are rotated back, and the carriages  33  of the clamp bodies  30  slide towards each other. The clamp arms  35  of the clamp bodies  33  move with the carriages  33  towards each other to sandwich the detection rod  100 . The plurality of teeth  353  of the clamp arms  35  abut opposite sides of the detection rod  100  to enhance a friction force between the clamp arms  35  and the detection rod  100 , thereby preventing the detection rod  100  from sliding away from the clamp arms  35 . 
     It is believed that the present embodiment and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the description or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the example hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments.