Portable camera device to be attached to a remote manipulator gripper

Abstract

A camera for observing the inside of a shielded cell comprises a support provided with a spring in the form of a gripper for mounting it on a remote- manipulation arm performing the task to be observed, by means of another arm, exerting solely a force for opening the branches of the spring, after which the camera is properly held, while being able to be removed without difficulty. A stop means is added in order to provide the correct angular position of the camera while preventing its support from turning about the arm, and thus making it possible to position it correctly by other remote-manipulation means.

Claims

1. A portable camera device to be mounted on a remote-manipulator arm, comprising: a camera and a support for the camera, the support comprising complementary means for fitting together the support and the arm, the support further comprising a brake, wherein the complementary means for fitting together the support and the arm comprises a fixing spring in a form of a gripper and, distributed on the support and the arm, an abutment of a face of the support opposite to the camera on a face of the arm providing a reference orientation of the device, wherein the spring comprises two curved branches, comprising concavities directed towards each other, free ends diverging, and a strut disposed between the branches.

2. The portable camera device according to claim 1, further comprising a wire for connecting the camera to an external device, and the wire comprises a first length secured to the portable camera device, a second length secured to the remote-manipulator arm, and a coupling between the first length and the second length of the wire.

3. The portable camera device according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises a fixed part including the complementary means for fitting together the support and the arm, and another part, connected to the fixed part by an articulation and the brake, to which the camera is fixed.

4. The portable camera device according to claim 3, wherein the brake comprises a ball screw.

5. The portable camera device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is selected from a group consisting of an optical camera, a charge-transfer camera, and an ionizing particle detection camera, and wherein the camera producing two-dimensional or three-dimensional images.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described more completely, in relation to the following figures:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of a first embodiment of an end of a remote-manipulator arm;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of the device;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the assembly;

(5) FIG. 4 explains the assembly;

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the device;

(7) FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the electrical connection of the camera;

(8) FIG. 9 is another view of the device;

(9) FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate a second embodiment of the device and the mounting thereof;

(10) and FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate a third embodiment of the device and the mounting thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) The invention is intended for remote-manipulator arms of a widespread type and comprising at the end a tool such as a gripper 2, connected to a distal segment 3 of the arm 1, by a wrist joint 4. The wrist joint 4 is here a coupling designed so as to remain sealed and therefore comprises an external sleeve 5, perfectly cylindrical and smooth (FIG. 1). The device 15 of the invention comprises a camera 6 (FIG. 2) mounted on a support 7, comprising a fixed part 8 and a movable part 9. The camera 6 is secured to the latter. The fixed part 8 and the movable part 9 are connected to each other by an articulation 10 provided with a brake 11, that is to say a mechanism for locking the articulation 10. The fixed part 8 comprises a spring 13, situated under its bottom face 14, opposite to the movable part 9 and camera 6. The device 15 of the invention can be mounted on the arm 1 as shown in FIG. 3, the spring 13 being disposed around the sleeve 5 and the camera 6 being placed just behind the gripper 2 and slightly above it, with an inclination enabling it to observe the work performed by the gripper 2.

(12) FIG. 4 illustrates the placing of the device 15 on the arm 1, by means of another arm 16, holding the device by the fixed part 8. The spring 13 is directed towards the sleeve 5, and then pushed on it by the arm 16. The branches of the spring 13 are then separated, and the spring 13 is pushed in and fits around the sleeve 5, gripping it. A planar portion 17 of the bottom face 14, situated in the viewing direction of the camera 6, is then pressed on the top face of the gripper 2, providing a reference orientation of the device 15 on the gripper 2. The device can be extracted by an opposite movement.

(13) FIG. 5 illustrates the device 15 in detail. The spring 13 comprises two curved branches 18, their concavities being oriented one towards the other, and joined between them by a junction 19, screwed to the fixed part 8. However, the free ends of the branches 18 have divergent portions 38 inclined forming an angle, so as to open the branches 18 when the spring 13 is pressed on the coupling 5 which is shown in FIG. 1. The fixed part 8 also comprises a flange 20 through which a ball screw 21 passes, and a housing for a spindle 22. The ball screw 21 and the spindle 22 constitute the main parts of the brake 11 and of the articulation 10. The fixed part 8 also comprises (FIG. 9) a strut 39 situated between the branches 18 of the spring 13 and making it possible to maintain the spring 13 under tension when the system is mounted on the wrist joint 4, forcing an abutment of the ends of the branches 13 on the wrist joint 4, and an opening of them with respect to their idle state. The fixed part 8 may be provided with a cylindrical machining 40 for housing a rod, not shown, in order to leave the device therein when it is at rest.

(14) The movable part 9 comprises a movable frame 25, carrying the camera 6 and a rear plate 23 holding the camera 6. The latter carries a connector plate on which the optical and electrical connector 24 is mounted. The movable frame 25 is provided with a bottom clevis 26 in which the spindle 22 of the articulation 10 is engaged. When assembly is effected, the movable frame 25 therefore turns with respect to the fixed part 8, driving the camera 6 and the rest of the movable part 9, but its movement can be stopped by screwing of the screw 21, the ball of which comes to bear in recesses produced on the side of the movable frame 25. A focusing knob 27 projects beyond the movable frame 25 at the front, and makes it possible to adjust the focusing of the camera 6.

(15) A transmission between the camera 6 and the outside of the place of work of the camera 6 can be provided mainly in two ways. In the embodiment in FIG. 6, the arm 1 and the shielded cell 27 in which it works are shown completely, the arm 1 conventionally comprising a master arm 28 outside the cell 27, a slave arm 29 inside, which replicates the movements of the master arm 28, and a cross-member 30 of the cell 27, above an observation window 31. The device 15 can be connected to the outside by a wire 32, connecting the connector 24 to an electrical conduit 33 of a known type, passing sealingly through the wall at the cell 27. The wire 32 may be continuous through the conduit 33, or joined to it by a coupling, not shown.

(16) In the design in FIG. 7, the wire, then 34, extends along the arm 1, in its segments. Provision is then made to provide the device 15 with a first length of wire 35 (Figure J, finishing on a connector 36 that a second length of wire secured to the second arm 16 can plug into using a complementary connector 37 established on the distal segment 3, once the device 15 has been fitted.

(17) The invention can also be installed on new remote manipulators, which will either replace those that are in production (when they are broken) or equip new cells. Still using the principle of braked fitting together, the invention will then be able to be fixed to the rotary coupling by means of shapes produced directly on the wrist joint of the gripper (sealed coupling).

(18) Other embodiments will now be described briefly, in order to explain the concept of braked fitting together between the device and the remote-manipulator arm 1, on which it is mounted. In the embodiment in FIGS. 10 to 12, the support bears the reference 107 and, as before, comprises a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part is similar to the one in the previous embodiment, but the fixed part, now 108, is distinguished from the previous one as follows. The spring 13 is omitted, and replaced by a groove 42 in the form of a female T, that is to say it is wider at the bottom, on the two sides, than at the opening. It also comprises a ball pusher 43, at the end of the groove 42. The arm 1 comprises, either on the gripper 2 or on the sealed coupling 5, a male groove 41, with a complementary shape in a T, and a notch 44 at the end of the groove. The assembly takes place by translation, sliding the grooves 41 and 42 one in the other, until the ball of the pusher 43 enters the notch; the device is then held in place, being able to be withdrawn, without significant force, when required.

(19) A third embodiment will be described in relation to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. The device 207 differs here again through its fixed part 208. It comprises a cylindrical orifice 46, which is inserted in a cylindrical rod 45, erected on the sealed coupling 5, or failing this the gripper 2. The rotational stoppage of this connection is provided by a lug 47 on the sealed coupling 5 and by a groove 48 on the fixed part 208. The lug 47 is disposed alongside the rod 45 and extends parallel to it, whereas the groove 48 extends the orifice 46. The lug 47 slides in the groove 48, as soon as the rod 45 slides in the orifice 46. The braking is here also provided by the ball pusher 49, established here on the lug 47, and the ball of which is housed in a notch 50, at the bottom of the groove 48, when the pushing in is sufficient. The properties of this device are similar to those of the previous embodiment.

(20) The device could also comprise sensors other than the camera, and in particular a lighting means, with light emitting diodes for example, directed in the same direction as the camera, in order to illuminate the scene for it; or, among other possibilities, a radioactivity sensor, measuring the surrounding activity. Such sensors could be mounted adjacent to the camera, on a free portion of the rear plate 23.

(21) The camera could be any known model with regard to the particles detected (photons or ionising particles, such as a particles), the detection mode (ordinary optical cameras or charge-transfer cameras could thus be used for detecting photons), or the type of image captured (two-dimensional or three-dimensional); a plurality of cameras could thus be used simultaneously to take three-dimensional images, or particular, more extensive, scenes for example.