Patent ID: 8758327

Claim:
A manipulator comprising: a manipulator shaft portion; a first rod supported so as to be capable of linearly moving with respect to said manipulator shaft portion and driven by a driving force; a first gear rotatably supported to said first rod and moved in accordance with a movement of said first rod; a first rack fixed to said manipulator shaft portion; a second rack supported so as to be capable of linearly moving in the same direction as said first rod with respect to said manipulator shaft portion; an end-effecter driven by the driving force generated in accordance with a movement of said second rack, a second rod supported so as to be capable of linearly moving with respect to said manipulator shaft portion and driven by the driving force, a second gear rotatably supported to said second rod, and a third rack supported so as to be capable of linearly moving in the same direction as said second rod with respect to said manipulator shaft portion, wherein said first rack and said second rack are arranged in parallel in such a manner that a cogged surface of said first rack and a cogged surface of said second rack come face to face, and said first gear is pinched between said first rack and said second rack, and is arranged in a state of engaging with each of said first rack and said second rack, and wherein said second rack and said third rack are arranged in parallel in such a manner that a cogged surface of said second rack and a cogged surface of said third rack come face to face, said second gear is pinched between said second rack and said third rack, and is arranged in a state of engaging with each of said second rack and said third rack, and said end-effecter is driven by a driving force generated in accordance with the movement of said third rack.