Automatic Tool Changer for Robots

Automatic Tool Changer for Robots

This technology is an automatic tool changer mechanism that converts the linear motion of a servomotor into the rotational motion of a link and hook bracket to physically engage and secure guide pins between a robot hand and a tool.

Conventional air cylinder-based clamping methods pose a risk of tool detachment if the air supply is cut off, and they suffer from structural complexity due to multiple reference surfaces, as well as reduced coupling precision caused by bending deformation over long-term use.

This technology utilizes a drive mechanism consisting of a servomotor, rod, rod bracket, link, and hook bracket to lock the tool by engaging the stepped portion of the hook bracket with the cutout of the guide pin. It achieves structural simplification and protection from external environments through electrical signal connection via a PCB and the strategic placement of components within the housing. Applicable to industrial robots and automation systems, it enhances tool change efficiency and maximizes space utilization in small-scale production environments.

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Key Features:

• A rod bracket (113) in which a first fixing pin (112a) secured to a rod (112) is rotatably fitted into a first through-hole (113a), with a second fixing pin (114a) fixed to one side and a third fixing pin (114b) fixed to the other side,
• An automatic tool changer for robots, characterized by comprising a mechanical load plate (120) that includes a PCB (122) with electrical signal contact pins formed in its inner center.
• A link (114) where the second fixing pin (114a) is coupled to a second elongated through-hole (113b) formed in the rod bracket (113) to allow for rotation and sliding, with through-holes formed at both ends,
• A rod (112) with a first fixing pin (112a) fixed to one side, and a first through-hole (113a) and a second elongated through-hole (113b) penetrating vertically,