Enhancement of Gripping Efficiency of Miniature Gripper Applying Elastic Buckling Phenomenon by Constraining Deformation

This paper discusses the enhancement of gripping efficiency of a gripping mechanism for miniature grippers. This gripping mechanism employs a displacement enlarging mechanism utilizing an elastic buckling of the flexible gripping fingers. Miniature grippers have been realized by the flexible gripping fingers acting as the displacement enlarging mechanism. However, there is a trade-off relation between the enlarged displacement and gripping force of the gripping mechanism. For this reason, the enhancement of gripping efficiency of the gripping mechanism has been experimentally attempted by constraining an elastic deformation of the flexible gripping fingers. The flexible gripping fingers are largely deformed due to elastic buckling after gripping an object. This elastic deformation is constrained by supports. Experiments have been conducted for some different cases of placement of the supports. The driving force, driving displacement and gripping force of the gripping mechanism have been measured. From experimental results, it has been confirmed that the enhancement of gripping efficiency of the gripping mechanism is feasible by controlling deformation of the flexible fingers passively.