Holding apparatus

Abstract

A holding apparatus includes a first holding unit including at least two supporting rollers rotatable around rotation shafts which extend substantially parallel with each other; a second holding unit including at least one supporting roller rotatable around a rotation shaft; and at least one holding mechanism having the first holding unit and the second holding unit. The rotation shafts of the supporting rollers of the first holding unit and the rotation shaft of the supporting roller of the second holding unit are substantially in parallel with each other. By moving at least one of the first holding unit and the second holding unit, an object to be held is held between the first holding unit and the second holding unit by using the supporting rollers.

1 . A holding apparatus comprising:
 a first holding unit including at least two supporting rollers rotatable around rotation shafts which extend substantially parallel with each other;   a second holding unit including at least one supporting roller rotatable around a rotation shaft; and   at least one holding mechanism having said first holding unit and said second holding unit,   wherein the rotation shafts of the supporting rollers of said first holding unit and the rotation shaft of the supporting roller of said second holding unit are substantially in parallel with each other, and   by moving at least one of said first holding unit and said second holding unit, an object is configured to be held between said first holding unit and said second holding unit by using said supporting rollers.   
     
     
         2 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first supporting arm to which said first holding unit is attached; and   a second supporting arm to which said second holding unit is attached,   wherein at least one of the first supporting arm and the second supporting arm is moved to hold the object.   
     
     
         3 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one of said first holding unit and said second holding unit has a coupling member that can expand and shrink, with the supporting roller of said at least one of the holding units being coupled to said coupling member through the rotation shaft thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a rotation stopping member that is made in contact with said rotation shaft or said supporting roller to stop the rotation of said supporting roller, in the case where said coupling member is shrunk by a predetermined distance.   
     
     
         5 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an elastic layer comprising an elastic material is formed on the surface of said supporting roller.   
     
     
         6 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said object to be held has a pillar shape.   
     
     
         7 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , which is used for a transporting process in manufacturing processes of a honeycomb structure, the manufacturing process comprising molding a ceramic material to form a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body in which a number of cells are disposed substantially in parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall therebetween, and firing said honeycomb molded body to obtain a honeycomb fired body as the honeycomb structure,
 wherein said transporting process is at least one of transporting the honeycomb molded body, transporting the honeycomb fired body, and transporting the honeycomb structure.   
     
     
         8 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first holding unit has the coupling member, and the second holding unit has a cut-out portion.   
     
     
         9 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the rotation stopping member is at least one of a block member comprising an elastic material, and a block member comprising resin with an increased frictional resistance on the surface.   
     
     
         10 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the elastic material is at least one of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, silicon resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin, and propylene resin.   
     
     
         11 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 at least one additional set of the first holding unit and the second holding unit on the first supporting arm and the second supporting arm, the adjacent supporting rollers being provided in substantially parallel with each other.   
     
     
         12 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an additional holding unit and an additional supporting roller which are provided at the first or second supporting arm;   a third supporting arm having a third holding unit which includes a supporting roller facing the additional supporting roller and being provided in substantially parallel with the additional supporting roller; and   an additional holding mechanism having the additional holding unit and the third holding unit, an additional object is configured to be held between the supporting rollers of the additional holding unit and the third holding unit.   
     
     
         13 . The holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the holding apparatus is coupled to a moving robot arm.