A tool change system includes: a seating portion configured to have a tool seated thereon; a tool changer disposed on a manipulator to separate the tool from the seating portion; and a pressing portion disposed on an upper side of the seating portion to release the tool from the tool changer. The tool changer includes: a main body disposed on the manipulator; and a gripper connected to the main body and including a hook to be locked into a locking recess formed on the tool and a lever pressed by the pressing portion.

This electric apparatus mounting device includes: a robot side contact jig which is provided to an end effector mounted to an arm of a robot and which has a robot side contact; and an electric apparatus side contact jig which is detachably provided to an electric apparatus and which has an electric apparatus side contact electrically connected with the electric apparatus. The robot side contact jig and the electric apparatus side contact jig are configured such that the robot side contact and the electric apparatus side contact are in a connection state in a state that the electric apparatus is held by the end effector. Thus, a work for conveying and mounting an electric apparatus such as a motor to a given position using a robot can be performed without hindrance.

A device for connecting pneumatic tools to a manipulator is described. The device includes a main body fixable to a manipulator and provided with seats for corresponding coupling portions of a tool, at least one duct for feeding or suctioning a working fluid to/from the tool, the duct extends in the main body, and an engaging mechanism to engage to tool. The engaging mechanism is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in order to respectively prevent or allow the detachment of the tool. Advantageously, the engaging mechanism further acts as a valve for opening and closing the duct and is provided with a vent to the atmosphere through which the pressure of the working fluid in the tool is automatically brought to the atmospheric pressure when the engaging mechanism is in the unlocked position.

An operating device for a handling device, with a gripping section and a coupling for a gripping device, with at least a part of the coupling being at or in the gripping section, so that it is rotatable about an axis of rotation, with a reading device for reading out an information carrier with coded data being placed on the side of the griping section facing the coupling, where the reading device is designed to read out an information carrier of a gripping device coupled to the coupling regardless of the rotational position of the coupling.

A method for performing a tool change with a robot arm. Providing a first coupling unit connected to a robot arm end shaft; providing a plurality of tool changer grippers and second coupling units detachably connected to the respective tool changer grippers; the robot arm end shaft driving the first coupling unit to be coupled with a selected second coupling unit and take the selected second coupling unit away from the corresponding tool changer gripper; the robot arm end shaft driving the first coupling unit coupled with the selected second coupling unit back to the corresponding tool changer gripper to be decoupled from the selected second coupling unit; enabling the corresponding tool changer gripper to have a degree of freedom; the corresponding tool changer gripper being self-displaced by the degree of freedom in the coupling operation and in the decoupling operation to overcome a position error.

A picking device for picking up plate-like or pillar-shaped workpieces one at a time from the top of the workpieces stacked in the vertical direction, the workpiece picking device including: a chuck including a plurality of gripping claws arranged around a topmost workpiece, the plurality of gripping claws configured to grip a side surface of the topmost workpiece, the chuck being movable in a vertical direction; and an air blowing circuit provided inside at least one of the gripping claws, including a blowing port having an opening toward a second workpiece, the air blowing circuit configured to blow air downward from the blowing port.

A robot hand jig includes a grip including a first depression configured to engage with a first finger and a second depression configured to engage with a second finger. The first depression includes a first surface, a second surface perpendicular to the first surface, a third surface perpendicular to the second surface, and a fourth surface perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The second depression includes a fifth surface, a sixth surface perpendicular to the fifth surface, a seventh surface perpendicular to the sixth surface, and an eighth surface perpendicular to the fifth surface and the sixth surface.

This invention concerns an effector unit (1) for a robot, which can be locked and unlocked via a relative movement of the robot, so that several effectors (3) can be used in the effector unit (1). In addition, the invention concerns a corresponding method for automatically changing effectors.

A manufacturing system includes an industrial robot having a robotic arm and a robot hand attached to the robotic arm, and a work station having an instrument provided with a grip to be gripped by the robot hand.

A tool attachment (200) for a robotic manipulator (100), includes a housing (202), an input shaft (208) configured to be engaged by an end effector (105) of the robotic manipulator (100), an output shaft (210), and a tool (214) coupled to the output shaft (210). The housing (202) includes at least one slot or at least one projection for preventing relative rotational movement between the housing (202) and a housing of the robotic manipulator (100). Upon engagement of the end effector (105) of the robotic manipulator (100) with the input shaft (208), the tool attachment (200) is retained on the robotic manipulator (100), and rotational movement of the end effector (105) of the robotic manipulator (100) acts to rotate said input shaft (208) and drive said tool (214).