A system comprising an articulated robot arm including assembly of links interconnected with motorized joint units at joints between the links for movements of the links relative to one another, one of the links being a base link. A docking cradle is adapted to be connected to a structure and configured for being releasably connected and for supporting the articulated robot arm. A coupling configuration is between the base link and the docking cradle for powering contact to be made. A clamping system includes one or more clamp members and a clamp lever for locking the base link to the docking cradle at the coupling configuration.

A robotic tool changer includes a locking mechanism that enhances safety. More particularly, the locking mechanism is an over center locking mechanism that maintains a constant lock force on a tool. The lock force exerted on the tool by the locking mechanism remains substantially constant, even after a motor providing power to the robotic tool changer is removed, and after the robotic tool changer experiences mechanical wear.

A modular gripper has a body with a trident section and cylindrical section. A powering assembly is positioned in the cylindrical section. A pair of oppositing jaws is pivotally secured between a center wall and a pair of side wall, respectively, of the trident section. The piston rod moves a cam assembly on the center wall. The cam assembly passes through a body having a trident section and cylindrical section. The trident section comprises a trident structure that includes, at one end, a pair of side walls along with a center wall. The cylindrical section includes a fluid driven powering assembly. A pair of opposing jaw member are pivotally secured to the trident portion about separate pivot pins. A cam assembly is operatively connected to a piston rod of the fluid driven powering assembly. The cam assembly extends laterally outward with respect to a cylinder bore axis to receive a cam bush that engages with a through slot on each of the pair of opposing jaw members. The jaws rotate with respect to one another in response to fluid power in the cylindrical section. A pair of side plate members, each slide plate member has an elongated blind slot that receives an end of the cam assembly, the ends travel in the blind slot. Cam slots in the pair of opposing jaws, via a cam bushing.

A modular gripper has a body with a trident section and cylindrical section. A powering assembly is positioned in the cylindrical section. A pair of opposing jaws is pivotally secured between a center wall and a pair of side wall, respectively, of the trident section. The piston rod moves a cam assembly on the center wall. The cam assembly passes through a body having a trident section and cylindrical section. The trident section comprises a trident structure that includes, at one end, a pair of side walls along with a center wall. The cylindrical section includes a fluid driven powering assembly. A pair of opposing jaw member are pivotally secured to the trident portion about separate pivot pins. A cam assembly is operatively connected to a piston rod of the fluid driven powering assembly. The cam assembly extends laterally outward with respect to a cylinder bore axis to receive a cam bush that engages with a through slot on each of the pair of opposing jaw members. The jaws rotate with respect to one another in response to fluid power in the cylindrical section. A pair of side plate members, each slide plate member has an elongated blind slot that receives an end of the cam assembly, the ends travel in the blind slot. Cam slots in the pair of opposing jaws, via a cam bushing.

A tool exchange device includes a male member and a female member. The male member is attached to a side of a main body of an apparatus. The female member is attached to a side of a tool. The male member and the female member includes a plurality of coupling portions mechanically connected to each other, and a connector portion that connects a power supply path arranged in the main body and the tool to each other. The plurality of coupling portions and the connector portion are provided in each of joining surfaces of the male member and the female member. The plurality of coupling portions are arranged around the connector portion.

A manually actuated end-of-arm tool (EOAT) changer is described. EOAT changer includes an external housing within which an inner cam ring is fixed in place and a rotatable cam ring surrounds the inner cam ring. The inner cam ring defines ball bearing retaining cavities that extend from an exterior of the inner cam ring to an interior; a single ball bearing is at least partially contained in each cavity. The rotatable cam has interior surface which defines bearing engagement teeth. Each tooth is positioned adjacent to one of the ball bearings so as to engage the ball bearing and bias the ball bearing toward the interior of the inner cam ring when the rotatable cam ring is rotated from an open stat to a closed state. A swing arm is engaged to the rotatable cam ring. A yolk is engaged to the external housing and positioned adjacent to the swing arm. When the swing arm is engaged to the yolk the changer is in the closed position.

An engaging member, a female member and a tool changer that can be downsized are provided, and the engaging member is an engaging member including: an engaging surface that allows a cam provided in a male member to engage therewith; and a dispersing surface that transmits a force provided from the cam via the engaging surface, to a female member body, wherein the dispersing surface includes a first dispersing surface and a second dispersing surface perpendicular to each other, and a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to a longitudinal direction is formed in a substantially triangular shape by the dispersing surface and the engaging surface.

A male member and tool changer for downsizing and preventing damage to proximity sensors; a male member includes a cam adapted to pivot between an engagement position at which the cam engages with a lock pin of a female member and a disengagement position at which the cam moves out of the engagement, and a cylinder unit adapted to pivot the cam between the engagement position and the disengagement position. A first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor are assembled onto a cylinder sidewall of the cylinder unit and first and second detection surfaces of the proximity sensors are revealed in a cylinder chamber. The first detection surface is placed at a position facing on a piston when the cam is located at the disengagement position and the second detection surface is placed at a position facing on the piston when the cam is located at the engagement position.

Provided are a tool exchange device and a tool exchange system that enable management of a coupling state according to a tool to be fixed. A tool exchange device including a male member to be detachably attached to an apparatus side and a female member to be detachably attached to a tool side includes: a proximity sensor provided in the male member; and a target provided in the female member, the target corresponding to the proximity sensor, and the target is provided in the female member in such a manner that a distance between the target and the proximity sensor in a state in which the male member and the female member are coupled together is adjustable.

A force multiplier (5) configured to assist movement of the operating rod (22) in its axial direction is provided. An engagement recess (52) provided on an outer periphery of the operating rod (22) has a cam surface (52a) configured to make engagement with an engagement ball (51). There is provided a support hole (53) configured to allow movement of the engagement ball (51) in a radial direction of operating rod (22) and to restrict movement of the engagement ball (51) in the axial direction of the operating rod (22). A pressing member (54) configured to press the engagement ball (51) is provided, and the pressing member (54) has a force-multiplying surface (54a).