Vacuum Adsorption Pad

Abstract

A vacuum adsorption pad is disclosed, capable of reliably and stably adsorbing quail, chicken, or duck eggs regardless of their shape or posture. The vacuum adsorption pad, formed in a cylindrical shape, is expandable and contractible along its axial direction. It includes: a first abutment portion, formed as an opening and having a first conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the suction side; a second abutment portion, formed at a position closer to the suction side than the first abutment portion, having a second conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the suction side; and one or more first ventral bands formed between the first and second abutment portions and protruding outwards. The maximum diameter of the first abutment portion is 0.6 to 1.2 times the lateral dimension of the egg, and the maximum diameter of the second abutment portion is smaller than the minimum diameter of the first abutment portion and is 0.3 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg. Adsorption of the egg is achieved by bringing the first and second abutment portions into contact with the egg.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vacuum adsorption pad. Background Technology

[0002] Various adsorption methods for transporting eggs are known. As an example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-20885) discloses an adsorption pad for adsorbing quail eggs. The outline of the adsorption pad is as follows.

[0003] Specifically, the adsorption pad disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a snake's belly, the inner diameter of which is smaller than the adsorption opening diameter of the adsorption pad. Furthermore, various parameters such as the inner diameter of the snake's belly, the adsorption opening diameter, and the opening angle of the adsorption opening are specified. This adsorption pad can be used in combination with a robotic arm, a vacuum source, etc., to adsorb quail eggs in an inverted state (a state where the curved surface with greater curvature faces upwards).

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 5-20885 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve Taking eggs other than quail eggs as an example, in the case of chicken eggs, the lateral dimension of an upright chicken egg when viewed from the main perspective is approximately 38.9mm to 45.8mm, and the longitudinal dimension is approximately 52.4mm to 62.4mm. However, during sorting, they are classified into multiple grades such as SS to LL based on weight, not on their shape. In other words, on a typical adsorption and transport line, there is a mixture of eggs of various shapes (i.e., various shapes with different lateral and longitudinal dimensions).

[0006] Furthermore, the adsorption pad in Patent Document 1 envisions adsorbing eggs in an upside-down position from above, but in reality, there are also cases where eggs in a tilted or upright position must be adsorbed from above.

[0007] However, in the known adsorption pads disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is impossible to adequately accommodate eggs of different shapes and postures, resulting in adsorption failures (including failure to adsorb and cases where the egg detaches from the adsorption pad, falls, and breaks after adsorption). That is, a vacuum adsorption pad that can reliably and stably adsorb eggs regardless of their shape and posture is desired.

[0008] Technical solutions adopted to solve technical problems The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a vacuum adsorption pad that can reliably and stably adsorb eggs (especially quail, chicken or duck eggs) regardless of their shape and posture.

[0009] In this invention, as one embodiment, the technical problem is solved by the following methods.

[0010] That is, the disclosed vacuum adsorption pad adsorbs quail, chicken, or duck eggs, is formed into a cylindrical shape, and is capable of extending and retracting along the axial direction of the cylindrical shape. Its key features include: a first abutment portion, which is formed as an opening and has a first conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the suction side; a second abutment portion, which is formed at a position closer to the suction side than the first abutment portion and has a second conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the suction side; and one or more first snake-belly segments, which are formed between the first and second abutment portions and protrude outwards. The maximum diameter of the first abutment portion is formed to be 0.6 to 1.2 times the lateral dimension of the egg, and the maximum diameter of the second abutment portion is formed to be smaller than the minimum diameter of the first abutment portion and 0.3 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg. The egg is adsorbed by abutting the first and second abutment portions against any of the eggs.

[0011] Invention Effects According to the above embodiments, eggs of any of the quail, chicken, or duck that are the targets of adsorption can be reliably and stably adsorbed, regardless of their shape or posture. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a front sectional view of the vacuum adsorption pad in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0013] Figures 2A to 2D It is shown Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the stretching and contraction of the vacuum adsorption pad when it adsorbs eggs in various positions.

[0014] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the various specifications and parameters of the egg, which is the adsorption target, in each embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a front sectional view of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 in various embodiments of the present invention. Figures 2A to 2D This is an explanatory diagram showing the expansion and contraction states of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 in various embodiments of the present invention when it adsorbs eggs in various postures. Figure 2A This is an illustration of the adsorption of egg E in its upright state. Figure 2B This is an illustration of the adsorption of egg E in an inverted state. Figure 2C This is an illustration of the adsorption of egg E when it is tilted at a specified angle from an inverted state. Figure 2DThis is an illustration of the adsorption of egg E when it is tilted 90° from its upright position. Figure 3 These are explanatory diagrams illustrating the specifications of the egg to be adsorbed in each embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, in all the diagrams used to explain each embodiment, components with the same function are labeled with the same symbols, and repeated descriptions are sometimes omitted.

[0016] First, the adsorption target in each embodiment is a quail, chicken, or duck egg. Furthermore, while it is assumed that the surface of any of the eggs in each embodiment is dry, this is not a limitation; the egg may also have liquid foreign matter such as egg white or oil adhering to it, or solid foreign matter such as feces, feed, or dried egg white. Additionally, any of the eggs in each embodiment may be in an unprocessed state (e.g., a raw egg) or a processed state (e.g., a boiled egg). Furthermore, the adsorption target may also be a workpiece with a curved shape such as a sphere or an egg.

[0017] Furthermore, the various specifications and parameters of the eggs in each embodiment are specified as follows. That is, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the posture in which the surface with less curvature (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "upper part") faces upward (towards the paper) and the surface with greater curvature (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "lower part") faces downward (towards the paper), and is symmetrical from left to right, is called the upright posture. Furthermore, the maximum dimensions of the egg in the left-right direction (left-right direction on the paper) and the maximum dimensions in the up-down direction (up-down direction on the paper) when viewed from the front view are called the lateral dimension and the longitudinal dimension, respectively. In addition, the state after reversing the upright posture is called the inverted posture.

[0018] Furthermore, the shape (i.e., horizontal and vertical dimensions) and weight of the eggs in each embodiment are not particularly limited, but general reference values ​​for the shape and weight of various eggs are as follows: Quail eggs: horizontal dimension: approximately 2.54 cm, vertical dimension: approximately 3.175 cm, weight: approximately 9 g to 11 g. Chicken eggs: horizontal dimension: approximately 3.89 cm to 4.58 cm, vertical dimension: approximately 5.24 cm to 6.24 cm, weight (SS): approximately 40 g to 46 g, weight (S): approximately 46 g to 53 g, weight (MS): approximately 52 g to 58 g, weight (M): approximately 58 g to 64 g, weight (L): approximately 64 g to 70 g, weight (LL): approximately 70 g to 76 g. Duck eggs: horizontal dimension: approximately 4.4 cm, vertical dimension: approximately 6.5 cm, weight: approximately 70 g to 90 g.

[0019] Next, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 in each embodiment will be described in detail. For example... Figure 1As shown, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 adsorbs the eggs E of quail, chicken, or duck mentioned above. It is formed in a cylindrical shape and is configured to extend and retract along the axis 12 of the cylinder. However, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 is configured to correspond to any one of the eggs E of quail, chicken, or duck, and not to correspond to all kinds of eggs.

[0020] Furthermore, as an example, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 is formed from a resin material (such as nitrile rubber, silicone rubber, polyurethane, or special raw materials for high temperature use) into a cylindrical shape with a height of several centimeters and a wall thickness of several millimeters. Additionally, as described later, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 has a flank and an abutment portion; therefore, it is not formed with a fixed inner and outer diameter, and the wall thickness can be varied according to the shape of each part.

[0021] Furthermore, as an example, the vacuum suction pad 10 is connected to the suction source (vacuum source) 50 via a pipe (air flow path) through a threaded mechanism or connector. In each embodiment, the vacuum suction pad 10 is used by connecting the connector 30 to the suction port 28 side opposite to the opening 14 side. Furthermore, an annular (circular) recess 28a is formed on the inner surface of the suction port 28, which engages with the annular (circular) protrusion 30a of the connector 30. Furthermore, the connector 30 is connected to a robot hand (not shown) and communicates with the suction source (vacuum source) 50 via the air flow path 40. Additionally, as an example, the suction source (vacuum source) 50 includes a switching valve (solenoid valve), a pressure regulating device, and a vacuum pump (all not shown), which adsorb the egg by generating negative pressure or detach the egg by supplying air. More specifically, when the suction source (vacuum source) 50 generates negative pressure, the robot arm or the like is operated so that the opening 14 of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 comes into contact with the egg E, thereby adsorbing the egg E.

[0022] Furthermore, as another example, multiple vacuum suction pads 10 are inserted into a housing (not shown) made of resin material or the like, connected to an air intake (vacuum source) 50 via a tube (air flow path), thereby allowing the vacuum suction pads 10 to be used in a structure that enables centralized piping. More specifically, multiple vacuum suction pads 10 can be inserted into the housing in a two-row × five-column arrangement. Additionally, the housing is connected to a robotic arm (not shown). A negative pressure is generated inside the housing (i.e., the multiple vacuum suction pads 10 inserted into the housing) by the air intake (vacuum source) 50, and the robotic arm or the like can be driven to centrally transport multiple eggs E to a packaging container.

[0023] The negative pressure generated by the suction source (vacuum source) 50 is not particularly limited, but considering the weight of egg E and the hardness of the eggshell, it is preferably -90kPa to -10kPa.

[0024] The vacuum adsorption pad 10 includes: a first abutment portion 16, which is formed as an opening 14 and has a first conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the air intake side; a second abutment portion 18, which is formed at a position closer to the air intake side than the first abutment portion 16 and has a second conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the air intake side; and one or more first snake belly portions 20, which are formed between the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 and protrude outward. Furthermore, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 is configured to adsorb the egg E by bringing the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 into contact with the egg E. Additionally, at least the first snake belly portion 20 is configured to deform (contract) a predetermined distance when the first abutment portion 16 is in contact with the egg E, but the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 can be deformable (bent) structures or structures that maintain rigidity.

[0025] Egg E has a shape in which the diameter decreases as it moves toward the height direction, regardless of its posture. However, according to the above structure, the vacuum adsorption pad 10 can abut against Egg E in two stages through the abutment portions 16 and 18.

[0026] However, when the egg's shape and posture are uniform (e.g., a standard egg in an upright position) and a single-stage adsorption is performed, adsorption can be achieved using an adsorption pad along the upper contour of the egg. However, when the aforementioned two-stage adsorption is performed regardless of the egg's shape and posture, the situation becomes more complex, and adsorption errors frequently occur using known adsorption pads. Therefore, through in-depth research, the inventors discovered a structure in the vacuum adsorption pad 10 described above that enables reliable and stable two-stage adsorption regardless of the egg's shape. Specifically, in the state where the egg E is not adsorbed (i.e., in the unused state), the maximum diameter X1 of the first contact portion 16 of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 is formed to be 0.6 to 1.2 times the lateral dimension of the egg E, and the maximum diameter X3 of the second contact portion 18 is formed to be smaller than the maximum diameter X1 of the first contact portion 16 and is 0.3 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg E. Thus, reliable and stable two-stage adsorption can be achieved for any egg from quail, chicken, or duck.

[0027] Furthermore, the opening angle θ1 of the first cone shape of the first abutment portion 16 is preferably formed to be 40° to 70°, and the opening angle θ2 of the second cone shape of the second abutment portion 18 is preferably formed to be 25° to 55°. With the above structure, more reliable and stable adsorption can be achieved.

[0028] Furthermore, the minimum diameter X2 of the first contact portion 16 is preferably formed to be 0.6 to 1.0 times the lateral dimension of the egg E, and the minimum diameter X4 of the second contact portion 18 is preferably formed to be 0.2 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg E. With the above structure, more reliable and stable adsorption can be achieved.

[0029] Furthermore, the first snake belly 20 is preferably configured to extend or retract by 0.1 to 0.3 times the lateral dimension of the egg E along the axis 12. With this structure, the relative position of the second abutment portion 18 to the first abutment portion 16 is appropriately adjusted, enabling more reliable and stable adsorption.

[0030] The vacuum suction pad 10 preferably includes one or more second snake belly 22s formed on the suction side of the second abutment portion 18 and protruding outward. These second snake belly 22s are configured to extend and retract along the axis 12 by a distance equal to the height of the egg E in at least any posture minus the height Y1 of the first abutment portion 16. Specifically, in various embodiments, the vacuum suction pad 10 includes two second snake belly 22s, which are configured as a whole to extend and retract along the axis 12 by a distance equal to the height of the egg E in at least any posture minus the height Y1 of the first abutment portion 16. According to this structure, shaking of the vacuum suction pad 10 during egg suction can be prevented, thereby preventing the egg E from detaching and falling.

[0031] Alternatively, multiple protrusions 24 and 26 may be formed on the inner surface of each second snake belly 22 along the circumferential direction of the cylinder. In various embodiments, approximately four to eight protrusions 24 are formed on the inner surface of the lower second snake belly 22 along the circumferential direction, and approximately four to eight protrusions 26 are formed on the inner surface of the upper second snake belly 22 along the circumferential direction. Eggs may sometimes have liquid foreign matter such as egg liquid or oil adhering to them, but according to the above structure, it is possible to prevent the snake bellies from sticking together when adsorbing eggs.

[0032] Next, the deformation (expansion) state of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 when adsorbing eggs through the vacuum adsorption pad 10 in each embodiment will be described in detail.

[0033] (Example in upright position) First of all, Figure 2A The diagram shows the deformation (expansion) state of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 when adsorbing an upright egg from above (hereinafter referred to as top adsorption). In the case of top adsorption, the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 abut against the upper contour of the egg E, and the first ventral side 20 and the second ventral side 22 contract. In addition, during top adsorption, when the cylindrical axis 12 is aligned with the axis of the egg E, the contraction distance of the second ventral side 22 can reach its maximum (i.e., the contraction distance after subtracting Y1 from the height of the egg E).

[0034] (Example in inverted position) Next, in Figure 2BThe diagram shows the deformation (expansion) state of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 when adsorbing an inverted egg from above (hereinafter referred to as bottom adsorption). In the case of bottom adsorption, the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 abut against the lower contour of the egg E. Furthermore, in the inverted state, similar to the upright state, the vertical height of the egg reaches its maximum, therefore, the second ventral side 22 reaches a contraction distance approximately the same as in the upright state (i.e., the contraction distance after subtracting Y1 from the height of the egg E). On the other hand, since the curvature of the lower part of the egg is greater than that of the upper part, the contraction distance of the first ventral side 20 is shorter than that in the case of top adsorption.

[0035] (Example of tilted state) Next, in Figure 2C The diagram shows the deformation (expansion) state of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 when adsorbing an egg in an inclined position from above (hereinafter referred to as inclined adsorption). In the case of inclined adsorption, the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 also abut against the upper or lower contour of the egg E. Furthermore, compared with the upright and inverted states, the vertical height of the egg is smaller, therefore, the contraction distance of the second snake belly 22 is smaller than that in the upright and inverted states. In addition, the first abutment portion 16, the second abutment portion 18, and the first snake belly 20 deform differently depending on the adsorption site of the egg E, but the second snake belly 22 deforms approximately uniformly in the vertical direction.

[0036] (Example of a 90° tilted position) Finally, in Figure 2D The diagram shows the deformation (expansion) state of the vacuum adsorption pad 10 when adsorbing an egg tilted at 90° from an upright (or inverted) position (hereinafter referred to as lateral adsorption). In the case of lateral adsorption, the first abutment portion 16 and the second abutment portion 18 also abut against the upper and lower contours of the egg. Furthermore, the height of the egg in the vertical direction reaches its minimum, therefore, the contraction distance of the second ventral side 22 becomes minimum. In addition, when the curvature of the egg E also becomes minimum, the diameter of the first abutment portion 16 needs to be expanded, therefore, the first ventral side 20 becomes the maximum contraction distance.

[0037] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum adsorption pad, wherein the vacuum adsorption pad adsorbs quail, chicken, or duck eggs, is formed into a cylindrical shape, and is capable of extending and retracting along the axial direction of the cylindrical shape, characterized in that, include: The first abutting portion is formed as an opening and has a first conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases as it moves toward the inhalation side; The second abutment portion is formed at a position closer to the intake side than the first abutment portion, and has a second conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases towards the intake side; and One or more first snake bellies, the first snake bellies being formed between the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion and protruding outwards. The maximum diameter of the first abutment portion is formed to be 0.6 to 1.2 times the lateral dimension of the egg. The maximum diameter of the second abutment portion is smaller than the minimum diameter of the first abutment portion, and is formed to be 0.3 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg. The egg is adsorbed by bringing the first and second abutting portions into contact with either of the eggs.

2. The vacuum adsorption pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening angle of the first cone shape is 40° to 70°.

3. The vacuum adsorption pad according to claim 2, characterized in that, The opening angle of the second cone shape is formed to be 25° to 55°.

4. The vacuum adsorption pad according to claim 3, characterized in that, The minimum diameter of the first contact portion is formed to be 0.6 to 1.0 times the lateral dimension of the egg.

5. The vacuum adsorption pad according to claim 4, characterized in that, The minimum diameter of the second contact portion is formed to be 0.2 to 0.7 times the lateral dimension of the egg.

6. The vacuum adsorption pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first snake abdomen is configured to extend or retract by 0.1 to 0.3 times the lateral dimension of the egg in the direction of the axis.

7. The vacuum adsorption pad according to claim 6, characterized in that, The vacuum adsorption pad also includes one or more second snake abdomens, which are formed at a position closer to the suction side and protruding outward than the second abutment portion. The second snake abdomen is configured to extend and retract along the axial direction by a distance equal to the height of the egg in at least any posture minus the height of the first abutment.

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