Self-cleaning suction cup and self-cleaning module comprising same

Abstract

The invention discloses a self-cleaning suction cup and a self-cleaning module comprising the suction cup, relates to the technical field of negative pressure devices, and aims to solve the problems that a traditional suction cup is not thorough in reverse blowing cleaning and tedious in filter screen maintenance. The self-cleaning suction cup comprises a suction cup body and a vibration element which can be arranged to be of an integral structure or a detachable structure, the vibration element is connected to the inner side of the suction cup body through a flexible hinge part, and the vibration element comprises a vibration piece with a locking cavity (preferably a regular hexagonal frustum) and an S-shaped speed reduction flow channel. During back flushing, the vibration element vibrates back and forth along the axis to discharge pollutants, and during adsorption, the closed cavity and the deceleration runner restrain the pollutants. The self-cleaning module is composed of a plurality of suction cups and module base components including a module mounting base, a sealing ring and the like, and the suction cups are densely distributed. According to the invention, the integration of adsorption, locking, sedimentation and cleaning is realized, the cleaning efficiency and the adsorption reliability are improved, and the device is adaptive to continuous production.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of negative pressure devices, in particular to a self-cleaning suction cup and a self-cleaning module comprising the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] The existing self-cleaning suction cup adopts a direct blowing method of back blowing airflow to clean pollutants, but has obvious defects: the back blowing airflow is easy to blow the pollutants to the dead corners inside the suction cup, which cannot be completely discharged, and part of the light pollutants (such as dust) will be suspended with the airflow, and then re-deposited on the adsorption surface after the back blowing stops, so the cleaning effect is limited; in addition, part of the suction cup adds a filter screen to intercept pollutants, but the filter screen needs to be disassembled and replaced regularly, which increases the maintenance process and is difficult to adapt to the continuous production demand.

[0003] To solve the above problems, the technical field urgently needs a self-cleaning structure that can effectively constrain pollutants during the adsorption process, avoid their diffusion, and clean them at the right time, to realize the integrated function of "adsorption-locking-settling-cleaning", and improve the cleaning efficiency and adsorption reliability of the suction cup. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the present application provides a self-cleaning suction cup and a self-cleaning module comprising the same to solve the above problems in the prior art.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application provides the following technical scheme:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a self-cleaning suction cup, comprising a suction cup body and a vibration element, the suction cup body and the vibration element are arranged as one whole or as two detachable parts, and the inner side of the suction cup body is flexibly connected with the vibration element.

[0007] When the back blowing airflow blows the vibration element, the vibration element reciprocates along the axial direction of the suction cup body to shake off the adhering objects and discharge them.

[0008] Further, the vibration element comprises a vibration plate coaxially connected with the top end of the suction cup body, the vibration plate extends outward along the radial direction of the suction cup body, and is connected with a flexible hinge part, the flexible hinge part is made of wear-resistant elastic material (such as nitrile rubber, fluorine rubber), which ensures that the flexible hinge part can be repeatedly bent without breaking, and at the same time ensures the sealing property of the inner side of the suction cup.

[0009] Furthermore, the adjacent sides of the suction cup body, the vibrating plate, and the flexible hinge are formed by an integral molding process, or the suction cup body and the flexible hinge are detachably connected. The integral molding structure simplifies the installation process of the three components and increases production efficiency. The detachable connection allows for easy replacement of either the suction cup or the vibrating component, preventing the entire assembly from being discarded and wasted.

[0010] Furthermore, the top of the vibrating plate has a concave locking cavity, preferably a concave hexagonal truncated chamber. Its core function is: when the suction cup is in the "suction" state, the truncated concave structure forms a "physical barrier" to enhance the locking characteristics of contaminants. During negative pressure adsorption, contaminants on the surface of the workpiece are drawn into the inside of the suction cup with the airflow and first enter the locking cavity. The side wall of the truncated chamber can prevent contaminants from diffusing to the edge of the suction cup and prevent them from entering the sealed contact area between the suction cup and the workpiece. At the same time, the volume space of the cavity is used to temporarily store contaminants and prevent them from being suspended and diffused.

[0011] Furthermore, the vibrating plate is also provided with a concave S-shaped deceleration channel. One end of the deceleration channel is connected to the locking cavity, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the suction cup body. The depth of the S-shaped deceleration channel is much smaller than the height of the locking cavity. Its function is to guide the airflow and pollutants in the locking cavity to flow along the S-shaped path. The curved structure of the channel reduces the airflow speed, and the inertia causes pollutants with a density greater than air (such as dust and metal fragments) to settle in the S-shaped channel and deposit at the bottom of the channel or the bottom of the locking cavity. This achieves the effect of "forcing pollutants to go through the S-channel to achieve deceleration and settling", waiting for the subsequent backflushing cleaning opportunity.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the vibrating plate is greater than the thickness of the flexible hinge, ensuring that the vibrating plate has sufficient rigidity to bear the weight of pollutants and the impact of airflow. At the same time, the flexible hinge can provide sufficient elastic deformation space, enabling the vibrating element to achieve efficient oscillation under the action of backflow.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a self-cleaning module, including the aforementioned plurality of self-cleaning suction cups, and also including a module base component, wherein the plurality of self-cleaning suction cups are densely distributed inside the module base component.

[0014] Furthermore, the module base component includes a module mounting base, a sealing ring, a pressure plate, and a face cover. The top of the self-cleaning suction cup abuts against the pressure plate, and the face cover fixes the self-cleaning suction cup in place.

[0015] Furthermore, the pressure plate is arrayed with several airflow holes, which are shaped like a frustum with a larger top and a smaller bottom, and penetrate the pressure plate. The airflow holes are connected to the locking cavity. The module mounting base has a groove inside, and an air pipe interface connected to the groove is opened at the top. The groove is connected to the airflow holes.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, it has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. This invention effectively constrains contaminants when the suction cup is in the "suction" state by using the physical barrier effect of the closed cavity and the deceleration and settling effect of the S-shaped deceleration flow channel, preventing them from damaging the adsorption seal or spreading into the suction cup. This solves the problem of "blowing-suspending-re-settling" of contaminants in traditional backflushing cleaning.

[0018] 2. During backflushing, the reciprocating oscillation of the vibrating element and the airflow work together to completely remove pollutants deposited in the closed cavity and flow channel, eliminating the need for disassembly and cleaning and reducing maintenance procedures.

[0019] 3. The vibration element and the suction cup body are integrally molded. The flexible hinge is wear-resistant and fatigue-resistant, and can withstand repeated bending and airflow impact for a long time, thus extending the service life of the suction cup.

[0020] 4. The self-cleaning module adopts a dense suction cup array, which can be adapted to workpieces of different sizes, and is especially suitable for gripping scenarios with high surface cleanliness requirements in the fields of electronics, automobiles, and construction. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0022] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0023] Fig. 1 This is a perspective view of the self-cleaning suction cup in this invention.

[0024] Fig. 2 This is a half-sectional view of the self-cleaning suction cup in this invention.

[0025] Fig. 3 This is an exploded view of the self-cleaning module in this invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Suction cup body; 2. Vibration element; 21. Vibrating plate; 22. Flexible hinge; 23. Locking cavity; 24. Deceleration channel; 3. Module base component; 31. Module mounting base; 32. Sealing ring; 33. Pressure plate; 34. Cover. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figs. 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention proposes a self-cleaning suction cup and a self-cleaning module including the suction cup, the specific implementation of which is as follows:

[0029] The core structure of this device includes a self-cleaning suction cup and a self-cleaning module. The self-cleaning suction cup is the core functional component for achieving pollutant locking, settling and self-cleaning. The self-cleaning module integrates multiple self-cleaning suction cups to adapt to a wider range of adsorption and cleaning needs. The two work together to achieve integrated operation of "adsorption-locking-settling-cleaning".

[0030] The self-cleaning suction cup includes a suction cup body 1 and a vibrating element 2. The two can be configured as an integral structure or a detachable structure to adapt to the installation and maintenance needs of different scenarios. The suction cup body 1 serves as the basic carrier for adsorption operations. Its inner side is flexibly connected to the vibrating element 2 through a flexible hinge part 22. The flexible hinge part 22 is made of wear-resistant elastic materials such as nitrile rubber or fluororubber, which can ensure that it is not easy to break when repeatedly bent, and also ensure the sealing performance of the inner side of the suction cup to avoid air leakage during adsorption or backflush.

[0031] The vibrating element 2 is specifically composed of a vibrating plate 21, a flexible hinge part 22, a locking cavity 23 and a deceleration channel 24. The vibrating plate 21 is coaxially connected to the top of the suction cup body 1 and extends outward along the radial direction of the suction cup body 1. Its thickness is much greater than the thickness of the flexible hinge part 22. This design makes the vibrating plate 21 have sufficient rigidity to bear the weight of pollutants and the impact of airflow. At the same time, the flexible hinge part 22 can provide sufficient elastic deformation space to ensure that the vibrating element 2 can oscillate efficiently along the axis of the suction cup body 1.

[0032] The top of the vibrating plate 21 has a recessed locking cavity 23 and a deceleration channel 24. The locking cavity 23 is preferably a regular hexagonal truncated chamber, and the deceleration channel 24 has an S-shaped structure. The depth of the deceleration channel 24 is much smaller than the height of the locking cavity 23. One end of the deceleration channel 24 is connected to the locking cavity 23, and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the suction cup body 1. When the suction cup is in the "suction" state, the contaminants on the surface of the workpiece enter the deceleration channel 24 with the airflow. The S-shaped structure extends the airflow path and reduces the flow rate. The inertia causes contaminants with a density greater than that of air, such as dust and metal fragments, to settle. Then, the airflow carries a small amount of unsettled contaminants into the locking cavity 23. The side wall of the regular hexagonal truncated chamber forms a physical barrier to prevent the contaminants from spreading to the sealed contact area between the suction cup and the workpiece. At the same time, the volume space of the locking cavity 23 temporarily stores the contaminants to prevent them from suspending and spreading and damaging the adsorption seal.

[0033] When the suction cup enters the "backflush cleaning" state, the backflush airflow enters the closed cavity 23 through the external pipe, pushing the vibrating plate 21 to move downward against the elastic force of the flexible hinge 22. As the airflow pressure changes, the vibrating plate 21 moves upward under the reset action of the flexible hinge 22, forming a reciprocating oscillation along the axis of the suction cup body 1. During the oscillation, the contaminants deposited in the deceleration channel 24 and the closed cavity 23 are completely removed and discharged through the exhaust port of the suction cup body 1 with the backflush airflow, completing the self-cleaning operation. The suction cup's adsorption performance can be restored without disassembly and cleaning.

[0034] In addition, the suction cup body 1, the vibrating plate 21 and the flexible hinge part 22 can be manufactured by an integral molding process, eliminating the assembly gap between the components, avoiding the residue of contaminants and improving the structural strength. If a component needs to be replaced separately, a detachable connection method can also be used to reduce maintenance costs and avoid the overall scrapping due to local damage.

[0035] The self-cleaning module consists of several self-cleaning suction cups and module base component 3. The self-cleaning suction cups are densely distributed inside the module base component 3, forming a multi-suction cup collaborative operation structure, which can cover a larger area of ​​workpiece surface and is suitable for batch gripping scenarios with high surface cleanliness requirements in the fields of electronics, automobiles, and construction.

[0036] The module base component 3 specifically includes a module mounting base 31, a sealing ring 32, a pressure plate 33, and a faceplate 34. The module mounting base 31 serves as the mounting base for the module. It has a groove inside and an air pipe interface connected to the groove at the top. An external negative pressure pump or backflush air source is connected to the groove through the air pipe interface to provide negative pressure adsorption or backflush airflow for all self-cleaning suction cups. The top of the module mounting base 31 is equipped with a sealing ring 32, which fills the gaps between the components of the module base component 3 to prevent airflow leakage and ensure that the negative pressure or backflush airflow can act efficiently on the vibrating element 2, thereby improving adsorption and cleaning efficiency.

[0037] A pressure plate 33 is installed on the top of the sealing ring 32. Several through-holes in the shape of a frustum (larger at the top and smaller at the bottom) are arranged on the pressure plate 33. Each airflow hole is connected to the corresponding locking cavity 23 of the self-cleaning suction cup. The frustum structure can guide the airflow smoothly into the locking cavity 23, avoiding the direct impact of high-speed airflow that causes the vibrating plate 21 to vibrate unstably. The top of the self-cleaning suction cup abuts against the pressure plate 33. The cover 34 is fixed to the top of the module mounting base 31 by bolts and other connecting parts, pressing and fixing the self-cleaning suction cup, limiting the displacement of the suction cup during the vibration process, ensuring the coaxiality of the suction cup and the module base component 3, and improving the overall working stability of the module.

[0038] When the self-cleaning module is working, the external negative pressure pump introduces negative pressure into the tank through the air pipe interface of the module mounting base 31. The negative pressure enters the locking cavity 23 of each cleaning suction cup through the airflow hole of the pressure plate 33, and then acts on the surface of the workpiece through the deceleration channel 24 to achieve synchronous adsorption of multiple suction cups. After adsorption is completed, the system switches to the back-blowing air source. The back-blowing airflow enters the locking cavity 23 of each suction cup through the same path, driving all vibrating elements 2 to vibrate synchronously and complete the batch cleaning operation. Throughout the process, the densely distributed self-cleaning suction cups can evenly adsorb the workpiece, avoiding workpiece deformation caused by uneven local pressure. At the same time, synchronous cleaning ensures that the adsorption performance of all suction cups is consistent, improving the reliability and efficiency of the module's operation.

[0039] When this invention is used, an external negative pressure pump introduces negative pressure through the air pipe interface of the module mounting base 31. The negative pressure enters the closed cavity 23 of the suction cup through the airflow hole of the pressure plate 33, and then acts on the workpiece surface through the S-shaped deceleration channel 24 to achieve workpiece adsorption. During this process, dust and debris on the workpiece surface enter the closed cavity 23 with the airflow. Under the constraint of the truncated pyramid chamber, they cannot diffuse to the sealing surface of the suction cup. At the same time, the S-shaped channel reduces the airflow speed, and the contaminants settle to the bottom of the channel and the bottom of the closed cavity due to inertia. Cleaning stage (backflush state): After the adsorption operation is completed, the backflush air source is switched. The backflush airflow enters the closed cavity 23 through the airflow hole, pushing the vibrating plate 21 to move downward against the elastic force of the flexible hinge part 22. Subsequently, the change in airflow pressure causes the vibrating plate to return to its original position, forming a reciprocating oscillation along the axis. During the oscillation, the deposited contaminants are shaken off and discharged through the exhaust port of the suction cup body 1 with the backflush airflow, completing the self-cleaning process.

[0040] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0041] The terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and "middle" used in this specification are merely for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning suction cup, comprising a suction cup body (1), characterized in that, It also includes a vibration element (2). The suction cup body (1) and the vibration element (2) are set as a whole or as two separable parts. The inner side of the suction cup body (1) is flexibly connected to the vibration element (2). When the backflow blows the vibrating element (2), the vibrating element (2) reciprocates along the axial direction of the suction cup body (1) to shake the attached material away from the vibrating element (2) and discharge it.

2. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibrating element (2) includes a vibrating plate (21) coaxially connected to the top of the suction cup body (1). The vibrating plate (21) extends outward along the radial direction of the suction cup body (1) and is connected to a flexible hinge (22).

3. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 2, characterized in that, The suction cup body (1), the vibrating plate (21), and the flexible hinge (22) are formed on adjacent sides by an integral molding process, or the suction cup body (1) and the flexible hinge (22) are detachably connected.

4. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top of the vibrating plate (21) is provided with a concave locking cavity (23) and a deceleration channel (24). One end of the deceleration channel (24) is connected to the locking cavity (23), and the other end is connected to the inner cavity of the suction cup body (1).

5. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking cavity (23) is a truncated pyramidal chamber, and the deceleration channel (24) is an S-shaped channel structure, with the depth of the deceleration channel (24) being less than the depth of the locking cavity (23).

6. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 5, characterized in that, The locking cavity (23) is a regular hexagonal frustum chamber.

7. The self-cleaning suction cup according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the vibrating plate (21) is greater than the thickness of the flexible hinge (22).

8. A self-cleaning module, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of self-cleaning suction cups as described in any one of claims 1-7, and also includes a module base component (3), wherein the plurality of self-cleaning suction cups are densely distributed inside the module base component (3).

9. The self-cleaning module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The module base component (3) includes a module mounting base (31), a sealing ring (32), a pressure plate (33), and a face cover (34). The top of the self-cleaning suction cup abuts against the pressure plate (33), and the face cover (34) fixes the self-cleaning suction cup.

10. The self-cleaning module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The pressure plate (33) is provided with a plurality of airflow holes arranged in an array. The airflow holes are configured as a frustum shape with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part, and penetrate the pressure plate (33). The airflow holes are connected to the locking cavity (23). The module mounting base (31) has a groove inside, and an air pipe interface connected to the groove is opened at the top. The groove is connected to the airflow holes.

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