Patent ID: 7475927

Claim:
A pneumatically controlled finger gripper, the finger gripper comprising: a supporting body having a proximal end and a distal end, said supporting body having a radially extending supporting body portion and an axially extending supporting body portion at said distal end; a pneumatically controlled piston guided in said body, said piston being movable alternatively in said body; a compression disk connected to, and moving axially together with said piston relatively with the distal end of said supporting body, said compression disk having a radially extending compression disk flange portion, said compression disk flange portion having an inner flange surface; a proximal plug; and a flexible gripper element located between said compression disk and said distal end of the supporting body, said gripper element being in contact with said radially extending supporting body portion and said axially extending supporting body portion and said inner flange surface of said compression disk, said gripper element moving between a contracted position and an expanded position when the piston with the compression disk moves between an inactive position and an active position, said supporting body defining a chamber, said chamber being fed by a fluid under pressure for the movement of the control piston from said inactive position to said active position, said inactive position being maintained by the flexible gripper element positioned between the piston and said proximal plug.