Robot hand member and method of producing the same

Abstract

A robot hand member mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot and a method of producing the same, wherein there are successively executed a step of laminating prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber on the outer peripheral surface of a core member having a predetermined shape in cross section, a step of heating the laminated prepreg sheets to a predetermined temperature to thermally set, to form a fiber reinforced plastic, and a step of removing the core member from the fiber reinforced plastic to obtain a hollow structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A robot hand member, which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, has a predetermined shape in cross section, and extends in a longitudinal direction, 
 wherein prepreg sheet each containing a reinforcing fiber are laminated on the outer peripheral surface of a core member, said laminated prepreg sheets are heated to a predetermined temperature to be thermally set, to form a fiber reinforced plastic, and then, the core member is removed from said fiber reinforced plastic.    
     
     
         2 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 winding prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber on the outer peripheral surface of a core member that is in a predetermined shape in cross section and is made of material that is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature;    molding the outer surface shape of said wound prepreg sheets into a predetermined size by pushing an outer mold having a predetermined inner surface shape onto the outer peripheral surface of said wound prepreg sheets;    heating said molded prepreg sheets to the predetermined temperature to thermally set the heated prepreg sheets, to form a fiber reinforced plastic; and    removing the core member from said fiber reinforced plastic to form a hollow structure.    
     
     
         3 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein said step of winding prepreg sheets on the outer peripheral surface of a core member winds the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         4 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein said step of winding prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         5 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 2 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outermost layer on which the prepreg sheets are wound.  
     
     
         6 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member that is in a predetermined shape in cross section and is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature and adhering prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber onto each of said divided regions;    heating the core member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to the predetermined temperature, to thermally set the member, to form a fiber reinforced plastic; and    removing the core member from said fiber reinforced plastic to form a hollow structure.    
     
     
         7 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 6 , 
 wherein said step of dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member and adhering prepreg sheets adheres the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         8 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 7 , 
 wherein said step of adhering prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         9 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 6 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outermost layer onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to cover said member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered.  
     
     
         10 . A robot hand member, which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, has a predetermined shape in cross section, and extends in a longitudinal direction, 
 wherein prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber are laminated on the whole of or a part of the outer peripheral surface of a core member, the core member laminated with the prepreg sheets are heated to a predetermined temperature to be thermally set, to form a fiber reinforced plastic that is integrated with the core member.    
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 winding prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber on the outer peripheral surface of a core member that is in a predetermined shape in cross section and is made of material that is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature;    molding the outer surface shape of said wound prepreg sheets into a predetermined size by pushing an outer mold having a predetermined inner surface shape onto the outer peripheral surface of said wound prepreg sheets; and    heating said molded prepreg sheets to the predetermined temperature to thermally set the heated prepreg sheets, to form a fiber reinforced plastic integrated with the core member.    
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 11 , 
 wherein said step of winding prepreg sheets on the outer peripheral surface of a core member winds the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein said step of winding prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         14 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 11 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outermost layer on which the prepreg sheets are wound.  
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member that is in ;a predetermined shape in cross section and is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature and adhering prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber onto at least one of said divided regions; and    heating the core member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to the predetermined temperature, to thermally set the member, to form a fiber reinforced plastic.    
     
     
         16 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 15 , 
 wherein said step of dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member and adhering prepreg sheets onto at least one of said divided regions adheres the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         17 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 16 , 
 wherein said step of adhering the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         18 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 15 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outermost layer onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to cover said member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered.  
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member that is in a predetermined shape in cross section and is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature and adhering prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber onto each of said divided regions; and    heating the core member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to the predetermined temperature, to thermally set the member, to form a fiber reinforced plastic.    
     
     
         20 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 19 , 
 wherein said step of dividing, into a plurality of regions, the outer peripheral surface of a core member and adhering prepreg sheets adheres the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         21 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 20 , 
 wherein said step of adhering the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         22 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 19 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outermost layer onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to cover said member onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered.  
     
     
         23 . A robot hand member, which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot and is made of fiber reinforced plastic, 
 wherein said robot hand member is formed in a hollow rectangular shape in transverse cross section and is formed with, in an inner space of a constituent member extending in a longitudinal direction, at least one rib that extends across the long sides opposing to each other in the transverse cross section, and also extends in a longitudinal direction of the inner space.    
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 arranging core members each of which has a rectangular shape in transverse cross section and is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, on both side surfaces of a rib-constituting member formed in a rectangular shape in transverse cross section and containing a reinforcing fiber, to form a composite structure having a rectangular shape in cross section as a whole;    laminating prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber in a predetermined thickness on the outer peripheral surface of said composite structure;    heating said composite structure on which the prepreg sheets are laminated to the predetermined temperature, to form a fiber reinforced plastic in which said rib-constituting member and the prepreg sheets are integrated; and    removing the core members from the fiber reinforced plastic.    
     
     
         25 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 24 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness adheres to laminate prepreg sheets formed to meet the shape of the surface of the composite structure or the shapes of the surfaces of the core members on the surface of the composite structure or the surfaces of the core members.    
     
     
         26 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 24 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness winds to laminate the prepreg sheets on the outer peripheral surface of the composite structure or the outer peripheral surfaces of the core members.    
     
     
         27 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 24 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         28 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 24 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outer peripheral surface of the composite structure on which the prepreg sheets are laminated, to cover said composite structure.  
     
     
         29 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 laminating prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber in a predetermined thickness on the outer peripheral surfaces of core members each of which has a rectangular shape in transverse cross section and is not deformed by the heating at temperatures equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature;    bringing the plurality of core members on which the prepreg sheets are laminated, respectively, into contact with one another on their side surfaces, to form a composite structure having a rectangular shape in cross section as a whole;    laminating prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber in a predetermined thickness on the outer peripheral surface of said composite structure;    heating said composite structure on which the prepreg sheets are laminated to the predetermined temperature, to form a fiber reinforced plastic in which the prepreg sheets laminated on said core members and the prepreg sheets laminated on said composite structure are integrated; and    removing said core members from said fiber reinforced plastic.    
     
     
         30 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness adheres to laminate prepreg sheets formed to meet the shape of the surface of the composite structure or the shapes of the surfaces of the core members on the surface of the composite structure or the surfaces of the core members.    
     
     
         31 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness winds to laminate the prepreg sheets on the outer peripheral surface of the composite structure or the outer peripheral surfaces of the core members.    
     
     
         32 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 29 , 
 wherein said step of laminating prepreg sheets in a predetermined thickness includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         33 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 29 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outer peripheral surface of said composite structure on which the prepreg sheets are laminated, to cover said composite structure.  
     
     
         34 . A method of producing a robot hand member which is mounted on an arm unit of an industrial robot, comprising the steps to be sequentially executed of: 
 bringing a plurality of unit constituent members each having a hollow rectangular shape in transverse cross section and containing a reinforcing fiber into contact with one another on their side surfaces, to form a composite structure having a rectangular shape in cross section as a whole;    adhering prepreg sheets each containing a reinforcing fiber over the side surfaces on the same sides intersecting the contacting surfaces of said composite structure; and    heating said composite structure onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to a predetermined temperature, to form a fiber reinforced plastic in which said unit constituent members and the prepreg sheets are integrated.    
     
     
         35 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 34 , 
 wherein said step of adhering prepreg sheets winds to adhere prepreg sheets onto the outer peripheral surface of said composite member.    
     
     
         36 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 34 , 
 wherein said step of adhering prepreg sheets adheres the prepreg sheets in a multi-layer.    
     
     
         37 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 34 , 
 wherein said step of adhering prepreg sheets in a multi-layer includes a step of laminating prepreg sheets in a manner that reinforcing fibers therein are oriented differently to each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction and in a direction nearly at a right angle with the longitudinal direction.    
     
     
         38 . A method of producing a robot hand member according to  claim 34 , further comprising a step of winding a cloth prepreg sheet on the outer peripheral surface of said composite structure onto which the prepreg sheets are adhered, to cover said composite structure.