The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 08, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 14, 2001
Paul Leblanc, Montréal, CA;
Sylvain-Paul Morency, Fabreville, CA;
Dominic Prevost, Bois des Filions, CA;
Sylvain Boily, Boucherville, CA;
Axium, Inc., Quebec, CA;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a gripping and transport clamp mounted at an end of a robotic arm. The clamp has a support member mounted at the end of the robotic arm and two lower pressing plates and one upper pressing plate mounted on the support member. A sensor is used to detect a reaction force being exerted on the first pressing plate upon displacement thereof. An actuator inserts the first lower pressing plate under the object to be gripped in response to a detection of the reaction force by the sensor. The second lower pressing plate under the first pressing plate moves between a retracted position and an extended position by means of an actuator mounted between the second lower pressing plate and the support member. It is also inserted under the object to be gripped. An actuator moves the upper pressing plate towards the object for gripping it between the plates. A controller receives detection signals from the sensor and operates the actuators.