Apparatuses including gripping mechanisms including extendable fingers and methods of manipulating items using the gripping mechanisms are described herein. An example apparatus may include a frame, a pair of carriages coupled to the frame and moveable by one or more drive units, a pair of fingers, and a set of linkages connecting the pair of fingers with the pair of carriages. The one or more drive units are operable to cause the fingers to move towards each other and to move away from each other.

An insertion head includes: a horizontal shaft member; one pair of gripping claws, extending on a surface orthogonal to the horizontal shaft member; one pair of gripping claw holding members movable on the horizontal shaft member which hold the one pair of gripping claws; a swing mechanism which rotates and drives the shaft member, and swings the one pair of gripping claw holding members around a center axis of the shaft member; and an interval changing mechanism which moves the one pair of gripping claw holding members on the shaft member and changes an interval between the one pair of gripping claws. The gripping claw extends to be bent on the surface, and each straight line portion of each tip end is offset to a perpendicular axis extending on the surface through a center axis of the shaft member in a posture of being oriented downward.

An insertion head includes: a horizontal shaft member; one pair of gripping claws, each gripping claw extending on a surface which is orthogonal to the horizontal shaft member; one pair of gripping claw holding members which are provided to be movable on the horizontal shaft member, and hold the one pair of gripping claws; a swing mechanism which rotates and drives the horizontal shaft member, and swings the one pair of gripping claw holding members around a center axis of the horizontal shaft member; and an interval changing mechanism which moves the one pair of gripping claw holding members on the horizontal shaft member and changes an interval between the one pair of gripping claws. A leaded component is gripped with the one pair of gripping claws, and a lead of the leaded component is inserted into an insertion hole on a printed circuit board.

A robot hand includes: a first movable member including a first pushing surface pushed against a first surface of a workpiece and a second pushing surface pushed against a second surface of the workpiece, intersecting the first surface, supported in a manner capable of moving in a first direction perpendicular to the first pushing surface, a second movable member supported by the first movable member in a manner capable of relatively moving in a second direction intersecting a movement direction of the first movable member, a third pushing surface pushed against a third surface facing the second surface, an actuator for pressing the first and the second movable members in the first direction, and a pressing force conversion mechanism converting a part of the pressing force generated by the actuator into a pressing force in a direction of moving the second movable member relative to the first movable member.

Provided herein is a robotic gripper comprising two gripping components, where each component may comprise a rotatable axle oriented along a longitudinal axis, and where the respective axles may be oriented substantially perpendicular to each other. Each component may further comprise a pair of opposing gripping fingers with each gripping finger of the pair being coupled to a respective end of the axle. Each axle may be independently operable to rotate the respective pair of gripping fingers about the longitudinal axis of the respective axle, and each pair of gripping fingers may be independently operable to move the gripping fingers of the respective pair toward and away from each other. A control system for the robotic gripper may thus actuate one or both pairs of gripping fingers to grasp one or more objects.

A gripping device with linear actuation for a robotic arm for seizing and gripping Petri dishes and other light items. The gripping device has a support and first and second gripping arms slidably retained relative to the support by guide rods. A motorized drive mechanism actuates the gripping arms through an operating member that acts only on the first gripping arm. Through an interconnection mechanism, movement of the first gripping arm actuates a simultaneous and dependent opposite movement of the second gripping arm so that the gripping arms are movable between a slack position and a clamping position. The operating member acts on the first gripping arm through a resiliently compressible member, the distortion of which is measured to provide a clamping limitation mechanism.

A robot hand controlling method executes calculating a position and changing grip force when the grip force for gripping a work W is to be changed in a state that fingers are gripping the work W with first grip force. In the calculating the position, the hand controlling unit uses a correlation value indicating a relationship between the grip force of the fingers and position of fixing portions, the first grip force, and second grip force that is a target value of the grip force to calculate the position of the fixing portions in gripping the work W with the second grip force. In the changing the grip force, the hand controlling unit drives a motor by calculating a driving quantity of the motor necessary for moving the fingers to the calculated position of the fixing portions.

A robot hand includes: a first movable member including a first pushing surface pushed against a first surface of a workpiece and a second pushing surface pushed against a second surface of the workpiece, intersecting the first surface, supported in a manner capable of moving in a first direction perpendicular to the first pushing surface, a second movable member supported by the first movable member in a manner capable of relatively moving in a second direction intersecting a movement direction of the first movable member, a third pushing surface pushed against a third surface facing the second surface, an actuator for pressing the first and the second movable members in the first direction, and a pressing force conversion mechanism converting a part of the pressing force generated by the actuator into a pressing force in a direction of moving the second movable member relative to the first movable member.

A modular gripper is disclosed and includes a main fixing plate, a driving module, two screw rods, two extension plates, two extension screws and two nuts. The two screw rods are arranged concentrically in the first direction, connected to the driving module, and driven by the driving module to rotate. The two extension plates are detachably docked to two sides of the main fixing plate through connection elements. The two extension screws are connected to the two screw rods, respectively. Threads of the two extension screws are continuously connected with threads of the two screw rods. The two nuts are sleeved on the two screw rods, respectively. When the two screw rods and the two extension screws are driven by the driving module to rotate synchronously, the two nuts are allowed to displace relative to the two screw rods and the two extension screws, to achieve a clamping operation.

A gripper structure is disclosed and includes a screw-rod main body, a first rotatory nut, a second rotatory nut, a first driving module, a second driving module, a first clamping element and a second clamping element. The first rotatory nut and the second rotatory nut are disposed on two sides of the screw-rod main extended along a first direction body, respectively, and bilaterally symmetrical to each other. The first driving module and the second driving module are configured to drive the first rotatory nut and the second rotatory nut to rotate, respectively. The first rotatory nut and the second rotatory nut are allowed to pass through a midline of the screw-rod main body. When the first driving module drives the first rotatory nut or/and the second driving module drives the second rotatory nut, the first clamping element and the second clamping element are relatively displaced in the first direction to achieve a clamping operation.