Patent attributes
A multi-fingered hand device has a reduced number of actuators as a drive source for bending and extending finger mechanisms and is capable of smoothly bending and extending the finger mechanisms to work on an object, e.g., to grip an object. Finger mechanisms 2a-2e are biased to an extended position by springs 16, 25. A wire 30 extending from finger mechanisms 2b, 2c and a wire 29 extending from the finger mechanisms 2d, 2e are trained respectively around pulleys 33, 32, and a wire 31 extending from the finger mechanism 2a is trained around a pulley 36 and drawn into an arm 5. The pulleys 32, 33, 36 are rotatably held by a pulley holder 43 which is angularly movable about a support shaft 42 and movable toward the arm 5. An actuator disposed in the arm 5 pulls the wire 31 or releases the wire 31 to bend or extend the finger mechanisms 2a-2e altogether. Even if any of the finger mechanisms 2a-2e abut against an object and fail to move when they are being bent or extended, the other finger mechanisms can be bent or extended.
