A manual robotic tool changer includes a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism is activated by moving a lever between open (decoupled) and closed (coupled) positions. When the lever reaches the closed position, a safety latch automatically engages and prevents the lever from moving towards the open position. To open the lever, the safety latch is first activated to disengage, then the lever is moved to the open position. To virtually eliminate the possibility of both the safety latch being accidentally actuated, and the lever being accidentally moved towards the open position, these actions require the application of forces in substantially opposite directions. Accordingly, it is impossible that a single force, inadvertently applied to any part of the tool changer, could both actuate the safety latch and open the lever. In some embodiments, actuation of the safety latch and opening the lever are both easily performed with one hand.

Tool coupling device with two coupling subdevices, wherein one of the coupling subdevices is intended for the distal end of a robot arm, and the other coupling subdevice is intended to be provided on a tool which can be coupled to the robot arm. The coupling subdevices are uncouplable from and to each other for the purpose of tool changing. A first of the coupling subdevices has a coupling socket extending in a coupling direction for insertion into a coupling recess of a second coupling subdevice. A plurality of ball channels are provided, within each of which a ball body is arranged as a locking body. The ball bodies are movable between a radially extended coupling position and a radially retracted release position. An actuating body for securing the ball bodies in the extended position is displaceable by an electric motor or a manual control lever.

A modular tooling receiver includes a housing having a wall and a port, and an engaging member movably disposed in the port. A lock actuator is moveable between a first position and a second position. The release lever is connected to the housing and is engageable with the lock actuator for causing movement of the lock actuator from the first position toward the second position. An anti-release mechanism is connected to the release lever and is movable between an engaged position, in which the anti-release mechanism engages the housing to restrain movement of the release lever to prevent movement of the lock actuator from the first position to the second position, and a disengaged position, in which the anti-release mechanism disengages the housing to allow movement of the release lever.

A mechanical end-effector changer includes a first connection unit and a second connection unit. The first connection unit has mounted therein multiple movable members and mating elastic members. Subject to the linking relationship between each movable member and the respective elastic member, the first connection unit and the second connection unit can be automatically connected together or detached from each other, facilitating end-effector change.

A method is provided. The method includes axially aligning a carrier portion of a separable robotic interface with a probe portion, the carrier portion coupled to a free end of a robotic arm, sliding the carrier portion over the probe portion in response to radially orienting a first alignment feature between the probe portion and the carrier portion, and in response compressing a spring-loaded plug in the carrier portion to release one or more ball bearings to make contact with an outer surface of the probe portion, the plug radially coupled to the carrier portion through a second alignment feature, seating the one or more ball bearings into matching recesses in the outer surface in response to sliding the carrier portion over the probe portion a predetermined distance, and rotating a locking ring of the carrier portion to axially lock the carrier portion to the probe portion.

When an operation portion (38) provided at an axial end portion of a valve member (37) is pushed into a valve case (31) provided to a first block (3), a clamping apparatus transitions from a first state, in which communication between: each of a primary-side pressure fluid supply/discharge port (34) and a secondary-side pressure fluid supply/discharge port (35); and a pressure fluid discharge port (36) is open, to a second state, in which communication between: each of the primary-side pressure fluid supply/discharge port (34) and the secondary-side pressure fluid supply/discharge port (35); and the pressure fluid discharge port (36) is closed.

A vehicle repair hand tool has a handle, a connecting rod, a connecting unit and a working unit. The connecting rod is connected with the handle. The connecting unit is connected with the connecting rod and has an engagement hole. The working unit is connected with the connector and has a base, an engagement unit and a working body. The base has a sliding recess and a recess opening formed in a bottom of the sliding recess. The engagement unit is mounted in the sliding recess and has a sliding block slidably mounted in the sliding recess. The engagement unit further has an engagement ball mounted in the recess opening, sheltered by the sliding block, and selectively engaged in the engagement hole. The working body is mounted on the base.

Systems and methods for changing an end effector are provided. A robot flange may have a first receiver and a first electrical connection. An end effector may have a second receiver, a second electrical connection, and a locking assembly. The locking assembly may be configured to releasably secure the end effector to the robot flange. A connector may have an interface and an electrical connector for transferring at least one of power and data from the first electrical connection to the second electrical connection. The interface may be received by the first receiver and the second receiver when the connector is positioned between the robot flange and the end effector and the locking assembly secures the end effector to the robot flange.

A tool changing device is described, which is provided with a male portion constrainable to a handler and a female portion constrainable to a tool to be handled and removably fittable on the male portion. Locking means are provided to lock the female portion on the male portion, and their respective actuator comprising an electric motor. The locking means are selectively movable between a locked position of the female portion and an unlocked position. Differently from conventional solutions, in the device according to the present invention advantageously the activation of the locking means is not assigned to the electric motor, on the contrary the latter has the task of only moving the locking means to the unlocked position; an elastic element is provided instead, which continuously applies a force holding the locking means in the locked position. The electric motor intervenes only to allow the female portion to be separated.

Described herein is an operating unit that can be connected to a wrist of a robot arm, including: a tool, and a supporting structure carrying the tool, wherein the supporting structure includes a connection member via which the operating unit can be operatively connected in a releasable way to said the of the robot arm, wherein the connection member has an opening on an end wall thereof, which is configured to receive a head of a connection device associated to the wrist of the robot arm, and wherein the connection member includes an internal seat accessible through the opening and configured to receive blocking elements carried by the head so as to enable fixing of the operating unit to the wrist of the robot arm.