US 11,858,755 B2
Gripping apparatus and stacker
Takahito Suzuki, Inuyama (JP)
Assigned to Murata Machinery, Ltd., Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/796,711
Filed by Murata Machinery, Ltd., Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/035017
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/157117, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 12, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-018905 (JP), filed on Feb. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0109072 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 47/90 (2006.01); B66C 1/44 (2006.01); B65G 61/00 (2006.01); B66C 13/22 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/905 (2013.01) [B65G 47/901 (2013.01); B65G 61/00 (2013.01); B66C 1/445 (2013.01); B66C 13/22 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0273 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0233 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gripping apparatus comprising:
a placement section configured to hold a round-shaped article;
a pair of gripping members configured to grip a side of the article placed on the placement section and include an abutment surface having a bent portion and capable of abutting against the side of the article;
a sensor that crosses the bent portion such that an end side and an end side of at least one of the gripping members are connected to each other in a plan view and includes a light axis extending in the direction along the side of the article; and
a controller configured to move the pair of gripping members close to each other to a first position where the article is not gripped but detected with the sensor, receive a detection signal from the sensor, and move the gripping members to a second position where the article is gripped, wherein the abutment surface is circular-arc-shaped in a plan view, and the sensor is arranged such that the light axis intersects at two points of a circular arc.