IP Library Granted Patent US 11,420,339
Granted Patent B2
US 11,420,339 · App. 16/907,991 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Article holding device and article holding system

Inventors: Hiroaki Fujihara (Kawasaki, JP); Sayo Yamamoto (Yokohama, JP)
Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
B25J15/0052B25J9/1612B25J13/08B25J15/0028B25J15/0616
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,420,339
App. No.
16/907,991
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A holding technology whereby an article, i.e., a subject to be held, can be stably held by increasing a contact area with respect to the article. An article holding device includes a holding main body, a suction mechanism, and a sandwiching mechanism. The sandwiching mechanism includes sandwiching arms, which come into contact with one side of the article, and a board-like sandwiching plate that comes into planar contact with the other side of the article.

Claims (21)

1. An article holding device comprising:

a holding main body;

an adsorption mechanism which adsorbs and supports an article which is an object to be held; and

a sandwiching mechanism which is provided on both sides so as to sandwich the adsorption mechanism, and sandwiches and holds the adsorbed article from both sides, wherein

the sandwiching mechanism comprises:

a sandwiching arm comprising an arm portion which comes into contact with one side of the article, and an arm rotation portion which rotatably connects the arm potion to the holding main body; and

a sandwiching plate comprising a plate portion which comes into contact with an other side of the article, and a plate rotation portion which rotatably connects the plate portion to the holding main body,

the sandwiching arm has a curved shape,

a first surface facing the plate portion in the holding main body includes a step, and

a second surface of the plate portion facing the first surface is configured to fit in a step shape of the first surface.

2. The article holding device of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of sandwiching arms are provided in the holding main body.

3. The article holding device of claim 1 , wherein

the sandwiching plate is rotatably supported in the holding main body by the plate rotation portion, and

the plate rotation portion is structured by providing a pair of link portions parallel to each other on both sides of the sandwiching plate, and the link portions have an end rotatably connected to the sandwiching plate, and the other end rotatably connected to the holding main body.

4. The article holding device of claim 1 , wherein the sandwiching plate comprises a detection sensor which detects contact with the article on a surface which is in contact with the other side of the article.

5. An article holding system comprising:

the article holding device of claim 1 ;

an article detection device which detects the article;

a robot arm configured to be attached to the article holding device, and causing the article holding device to approach or move away from the article based on a result of detection of the article detection device; and

a control device which controls operation of the robot arm and the article holding device.

6. The article holding system of claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to perform controls for causing the article holding device to approach and hold the article from an upper side and perform controls for causing the article holding device to approach and hold the article from a lateral side based on the result of detection of the article detection device.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jul 29, 2025
From: TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 072239/0263 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2020
From: FUJIHARA, HIROAKI; YAMAMOTO, SAYO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053002/0882 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-246761 · Dec 22, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2018033675 · Sep 11, 2018
Related Publication 20200316787A1 · Oct 8, 2020