Bernoulli gripper capable of adaptively deforming

Abstract

The Bernoulli gripper comprises a ventilation center and a plurality of deformable gripping strips connected to the periphery of the ventilation center in a radial shape, and each deformable gripping strip comprises a plurality of segmented air guide plates arranged in sequence and flexible connecting units connected with the adjacent segmented air guide plates; a plurality of air guide grooves are formed in the bottoms of the segmented air guide plates in the length direction, and the air guide grooves in the adjacent segmented air guide plates communicate with one another through flexible connecting units; a multi-way pipeline is arranged in the ventilation pivot, an inlet of the multi-way pipeline is connected with an external air pump, and an outlet of the multi-way pipeline is communicated with the air guide grooves in the segmented air guide plates located at the ends of the deformable grabbing strips. According to the Bernoulli gripper, the segmented air guide plates are combined and connected through the flexible connecting units, the Bernoulli gripper can generate appropriate deformation according to the shape of an object during use so as to be close to the surface of the object, the action range is expanded as far as possible, enough lifting force can be generated on various bent surfaces with different degrees, and the application range is wide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of manipulators, and specifically relates to a Bernoulli gripper that can adaptively deform. Background Art

[0002] With the improvement of the technological level, the manufacturing industries of various products are gradually developing towards automated production. Manipulators are common equipment on current automatic or semi-automatic production lines. By using manipulators to pick up, place, and transfer materials, a large amount of labor is saved for enterprises, and the probability of safety accidents is also reduced.

[0003] For different types of materials, the structures of the manipulators used are usually also different. Some production enterprises need to handle products that are sensitive to surface cleanliness, such as wafers, etc. Therefore, the manipulator needs to pick up the materials without direct contact with the materials. Currently, using the Bernoulli effect is one of the main ways to achieve non-contact grasping. However, the existing Bernoulli grippers are mainly used to grasp materials with a flat surface, and there are certain difficulties in grasping objects with a curved surface. It is difficult for the Bernoulli gripper to form a sufficiently narrow gap between the suction cup and the surface of the material to be grasped, resulting in the airflow not being able to reach a fast speed as when grasping flat objects. The negative pressure generated by the Bernoulli effect is not sufficient to offset the gravity of the object, so grasping cannot be achieved. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The utility model is made to solve the above problems, and the purpose is to provide a Bernoulli gripper that can adaptively deform with a high protection level and is easy to produce and manufacture.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A Bernoulli gripper that can adaptively deform, including a ventilation center and a plurality of deformable gripping strips radially connected around the ventilation center. Among them: the deformable gripping strip includes a plurality of segmented air guide plates arranged in sequence and a flexible connection unit connecting adjacent segmented air guide plates; a plurality of air guide grooves are opened along the length direction at the bottom of the segmented air guide plate, and the air guide grooves on adjacent segmented air guide plates are connected to each other through the flexible connection unit; a multi-way pipe is provided in the ventilation center, the inlet of the multi-way pipe is connected to an external air pump, and the outlets are respectively connected to the air guide grooves on the segmented air guide plates at the ends of each deformable gripping strip.

[0007] Furthermore, the ventilation center further includes a rectangular main body and a plurality of sleeve connectors arranged on the side surface of the rectangular main body. The sleeve connectors have connection cavities adapted to the segmented air guide plates, and the ends of the deformable gripping strips are inserted into the sleeve connectors one by one; the multi-way pipe includes an inlet pipeline and a plurality of lateral branch pipelines arranged at the bottom of the inlet pipeline. The lateral branch pipelines pass through the connection cavities of the sleeve connectors and are connected to the air guide grooves.

[0008] Furthermore, the flexible connection unit includes a connection block. The size of the connection block is smaller than that of the segmented air guiding plate. The material of the connection block is aluminum alloy, and it is an integral structure with the segmented air guiding plate. A number of relief grooves are formed on the connection block, which surround the surface of the connection block in the width and thickness directions.

[0009] Preferably, the number of relief grooves is two. The two relief grooves are parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged on the connection block.

[0010] Furthermore, a number of ventilation holes are formed inside the connection block, which penetrate the connection block in the length direction. The number of ventilation holes corresponds to the number of air guiding grooves on the connection block. Both ends of the ventilation holes are respectively connected to the air guiding grooves on adjacent segmented air guiding plates.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the air guiding groove is a semi-circular curved surface, and the two side walls near the groove opening have guiding inclined surfaces that are parallel to each other and inclined outward from the segmented air guiding plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the flexible connection unit includes a number of hinges that rotatably connect adjacent segmented air guiding plates and an equal number of ventilation hoses as the air guiding grooves on each segmented air guiding plate. Both ends of the ventilation hoses are respectively connected to the ends of the air guiding grooves on two adjacent segmented air guiding plates through connectors. Each group of hinges includes a number of first side ears, a number of second side ears, and a pin shaft. One end of each of the first side ears and the second side ears is respectively connected to two segmented air guiding plates, and the other end is semi-circular. A through hole adapted to the pin shaft is formed on the semi-circular end. The pin shaft is passed through the first side ear and the second side ear through the through hole to form a hinge joint.

[0013] Furthermore, among the first side ears and the second side ears, a limiting protrusion is provided on the side surface of the semi-circular end of one of them, and an arc-shaped limiting groove that cooperates with the limiting protrusion is formed along the circumferential direction on the edge of the semi-circular end of the other, for limiting the rotation angle of the hinge.

[0014] Preferably, each group of hinges includes one first side ear and two second side ears. A limiting protrusion is provided on each side of the first side ear. The two second side ears are respectively close to both sides of the first side ear, and a limiting groove is provided on the edge of each end of the two second side ears. The limiting grooves and the limiting protrusions are in one-to-one correspondence and cooperation.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. In the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper of the present utility model, each segmented air guiding plate is combined and connected through a flexible connection unit, and can generate appropriate deformation according to the shape of the object during use to closely adhere to the surface of the object, and sufficient lift force can be generated for various surfaces. It can be used for non-contact grasping of items with a certain curvature or irregular bending and warping, and has a wide range of applications.

[0017] 2. The overall structure of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper of the present utility model is simple, easy to assemble, has strong grasping stability, can reduce damage to materials, reduce the rejection rate, and save costs. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper in Embodiment 1;

[0019] Figure 2 is a bottom view of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper in Embodiment 1;

[0020] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper in Embodiment 1;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the ventilation center;

[0022] Figure 5 is an isometric sectional view of the ventilation center;

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 1 a partial enlarged view of the structure within circle A in

[0024] Figure 7 is an isometric sectional view of the segmented air guide plate;

[0025] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the deformable gripping strip at the segmented air guide plate;

[0026] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper in Embodiment 2;

[0027] Figure 10 is a bottom view of the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper in Embodiment 2;

[0028] Figure 11 is Figure 9 a partial enlarged view of the structure within circle B in

[0029] Reference Numerals in the Drawings:

[0030] 10 - Ventilation center, 11 - Multi - passage pipeline, 111 - Intake pipeline, 112 - Lateral branch pipeline, 12 - Rectangular main body, 13 - Sleeve connector, 20 - Deformable gripping strip, 21 - Segmented air guide plate, 211 - Air guide groove, 2111 - Semi - circular curved surface, 2112 - Guide inclined surface, 22 / 22’ - Flexible connection unit, 221 - Connection block, 222 - Relief groove, 223 - Ventilation hole, 224 - Hinge, 2241 - First side ear, 2242 - Second side ear, 2244 - Through hole, 2245 - Limit protrusion, 2246 - Limit groove, 225 - Ventilation hose, 226 - Connector. Detailed implementation mode

[0031] In order to make the technical means, creative features, achieved purposes and functions realized by the present utility model easy to understand, the following embodiments will specifically describe the Bernoulli gripper that can be adaptively deformed in the present utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, this embodiment provides an adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper (hereinafter referred to as "gripper"), which is arranged on a moving mechanism and is used to grasp materials. It includes a ventilation center 10 and a plurality of deformable gripping strips 20 radially connected around the ventilation center 10. The deformable gripping strip 20 includes a plurality of sequentially arranged segmented air guide plates 21 and flexible connection units 22 connecting adjacent segmented air guide plates 21. A plurality of air guide grooves 211 are opened along the length direction at the bottom of the segmented air guide plate 21, and the air guide grooves 211 on adjacent segmented air guide plates 21 are interconnected through the flexible connection unit 22. A multi - passage pipeline 11 is provided in the ventilation center 10. The inlet of the multi - passage pipeline 11 is connected to an external air pump, and the outlets are respectively connected to the air guide grooves 211 on the segmented air guide plates 21 at the ends of each deformable gripping strip 20.

[0034] Specifically, as Figures 3 to 5 shown, in addition to the multi - passage pipeline 11, the ventilation center 10 further includes a rectangular main body 12 and a plurality of sleeve connectors 13 arranged on the side surface of the rectangular main body 12. The sleeve connector 13 has a connection cavity adapted to the segmented air guide plate 21. In this embodiment, the number of both the deformable gripping strip 20 and the sleeve connector 13 is four, and the ends of the four deformable gripping strips 20 are inserted into the sleeve connectors 13 in one - to - one correspondence.

[0035] The multi-pass pipeline 11 includes an intake pipeline 111 and a plurality of lateral branch pipelines 112 arranged at the bottom of the intake pipeline 111. The intake pipeline 111 is connected to an external air pump, and the lateral branch pipelines 112 pass through the connection cavity of the sleeve connector 13 and are connected to one end of the air guide groove 211. In practical applications, the number of deformable gripping strips 20 and the number of air guide plates in each deformable gripping strip 20 can be adjusted and set according to the specific shape and size of the material to be gripped.

[0036] Further, as Figure 6 shown, the flexible connection unit 22 includes a connection block 221. The size of the connection block 221 is smaller than that of the segmented air guide plate 21. A plurality of relief grooves 222 are formed on the connection block 221 and surround the surface of the connection block 221 in the width and thickness directions. In this embodiment, the number of relief grooves 222 is two, and the two relief grooves 222 are parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged on the connection block 221. The material of the connection block 221 is a metal with good ductility. In this embodiment, aluminum alloy is used, and it is an integral structure with the segmented air guide plate 21. Utilizing the ductility of the metal, the connection block 221 can be bent and deformed under an external force, thereby changing the angle between adjacent segmented air guide plates 21 and making the deformable gripping strip 20 more conform to the surface shape of the material. However, if the bending angle of the gripper relative to the material surface is too large, there may be a situation where the gripper touches the material surface before the Bernoulli effect occurs, which is likely to scratch the surface. The design of the relief grooves 222 makes the connection block 221 more easily bent and deformed, and also has a limiting effect. When the connection block 221 is bent and deformed, the two sides of the relief groove 222 gradually approach each other. By setting appropriate groove widths and depths, the maximum deformation degree of the connection block 221 when the two sides of the groove mouth come into contact can be limited, achieving the purpose of self-limitation. The overall structure of the gripper is simple, without the need to separately set a limiting member, and it is easier to manufacture.

[0037] Further, as Figure 3 shown, a plurality of ventilation holes 223 penetrating the connection block 221 in the length direction are formed inside the connection block 221. The number of ventilation holes 223 corresponds to the number of air guide grooves 211 on the connection block 221, and the two ends of the ventilation holes 223 are respectively connected to the air guide grooves 211 on adjacent segmented air guide plates 21. In this embodiment, the number of air guide grooves 211 on each segmented air guide plate 21 is two. Correspondingly, the number of ventilation holes 223 on each connection block 221 is also two. The air guide grooves 211 and the ventilation holes 223 on both sides are respectively connected correspondingly, forming two parallel gas paths on a single deformable gripping strip 20, which has good stability when gripping materials.

[0038] Further, as Figure 7 、 8As shown, the bottom surface of the air guiding groove 211 is a semi-circular curved surface 2111. The diameter of the ventilation hole 223 is the same as that of the semi-circular curved surface 2111. The inner wall surface of the upper half of the ventilation hole 223 is smoothly connected to the bottom surface of the air guiding groove 211. On both sides of the groove near the groove opening, there are guiding inclined surfaces 2112 that are parallel to each other and inclined outward towards the segmented air guiding plate 21, causing the air flow to flow outward, so that it is easier to form a negative pressure area in the middle area.

[0039] During operation, the high-pressure air conveyed by the air pump flows from the multi-way pipe 11 of the ventilation center 10 to the gas passages of each deformable gripping strip 20. The gripper approaches the material to be gripped. The high-speed air flow ejected from the air guiding groove 211 flows rapidly to both sides after contacting the object surface. A negative pressure area is formed at the center of the air outlet part, applying an upward suction force to the object. At the same time, each deformable gripping strip 20 on the gripper also naturally bends under the reaction force to further conform to the shape of the object surface. A suspended distance of an air surface is formed between the surface of the air guiding plate and the object surface, and the gripper does not directly contact the object to be gripped. After the gripper deformation ends and stabilizes, the suction force applied by the multiple segmented air guiding plates 21 together cancels the gravity of the object, so as to suspend and adsorb the object, realizing the gripping function. After driving the gripper to move the article to a suitable position through the moving mechanism, disconnect the high-pressure air input to the gripper, and the object can be released. The gripper restores its shape and can perform the next round of gripping after resetting.

[0040] Embodiment 2

[0041] This embodiment provides an adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper, which only differs from Embodiment 1 in the flexible connection unit 22. For the sake of easy expression, the same symbols are given to the structures that are the same as those in Embodiment 1 in Embodiment 2, and the same descriptions are omitted.

[0042] In Embodiment 1, the flexible connection unit 22 adopts an aluminum alloy connection block 221 integrated with the segmented air guiding plate 21, and changes the included angle between adjacent segmented air guiding plates 21 through the bending deformation of the connection block 221.

[0043] In this embodiment, as Figures 9 to 11 shown, the flexible connection unit 22' includes several groups of hinges 224 that rotatably connect adjacent segmented air guiding plates 21 and ventilation hoses 225 that are equal in number to the air guiding grooves 211 on each segmented air guiding plate 21. Specifically, the number of hinges 224 in each flexible connection unit 22' is three groups, and the number of ventilation hoses 225 is two. Both ends of the ventilation hose 225 are respectively connected to the ends of the air guiding grooves 211 on two adjacent segmented air guiding plates 21 through connectors 226. The three groups of hinges 224 are evenly distributed between the two segmented air guiding plates 21.

[0044] Each set of hinges 224 includes a plurality of first side lugs 2241, a plurality of second side lugs 2242, and a pin shaft (not shown in the figure). The first side lugs 2241 / second side lugs 2242 and the segmented air guide plate 21 are of an integral structure. One end of the first side lugs 2241 and the second side lugs 2242 are respectively connected to two segmented air guide plates 21, and the other ends are both semi-circular. A through hole 2244 adapted to the pin shaft is provided on the semi-circular end. The pin shaft is passed through the first side lugs 2241 and the second side lugs 2242 through the through hole 2244 to form a hinge connection.

[0045] Furthermore, among the first side lugs 2241 and the second side lugs 2242, a limiting protrusion 2245 is provided on the side surface of the semi-circular end of one of them, and an arc-shaped limiting groove 2246 that cooperates with the limiting protrusion 2245 is provided along the circumferential direction on the edge of the semi-circular end of the other, for limiting the rotation angle of the hinge 224. In this embodiment, each set of hinges 224 includes one first side lug 2241 and two second side lugs 2242. A limiting protrusion 2245 is provided on each side of the first side lug 2241. The two second side lugs 2242 are respectively closely attached to both sides of the first side lug 2241. A limiting groove 2246 is provided on the edge of the end of each of the two second side lugs 2242. The limiting grooves 2246 and the limiting protrusions 2245 are in one-to-one correspondence and cooperation. According to the shape and size of the specific object to be grasped, reasonably setting the position and length of the limiting groove 2246 can limit the rotation angle of the hinge 224, avoid the segmented connecting plate from contacting and scratching the surface of the object, and reduce the scrap rate of the production line.

[0046] During actual application, a sensor can be set to measure the surface condition of the object. After the measurement result is transmitted to the computer, the computer adjusts the flow rate, flow volume of the input air flow, and the distance between the gripper and the object surface, so that the hinge 224 rotates against the damping to an angle that fits the shape of the object surface.

[0047] In summary, the adaptable deformable Bernoulli gripper of the present utility model can fully fit the shape of the object surface, expand the coverage range as much as possible, generate sufficient lift force for various curved surfaces of different degrees, and can be used to grasp objects sensitive to surface cleanliness, such as display devices, mobile phone covers, computer covers, etc.; it can also be used for flexible materials, such as flexible rubber plates; it is especially suitable for objects with curvature and requiring non-contact handling, such as wafers. The overall structure of the gripper is simple, the grasping is stable, the practicability is strong, the application range is wide, and it has a high popularization and application value.

[0048] The above embodiments are preferred cases of the present utility model and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper, characterized in that: The invention comprises a ventilation center and a plurality of deformable gripping strips radially connected around the ventilation center, wherein: The deformable gripping strip comprises a plurality of segmented air guide plates arranged in sequence and a flexible connection unit connecting adjacent segmented air guide plates; A plurality of air guide grooves are provided at the bottom of the segmented air guide plate along the length direction, and the air guide grooves on adjacent segmented air guide plates are interconnected through a flexible connection unit; The ventilation center is provided with a multi-channel pipeline, the inlet of which is connected to an external air pump, and the outlet is respectively communicated with the air guide grooves on the segmented air guide plates at the ends of each deformable gripping strip.

2. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ventilation hub also includes a rectangular body and a plurality of sleeve connectors arranged on the side of the rectangular body, the sleeve connectors having a connection cavity adapted to the segmented air guide plate, and the ends of the deformable gripping strips are plugged into the sleeve connectors in a one-to-one correspondence; The multi-channel pipeline includes an air intake pipeline and a plurality of lateral branch pipelines arranged at the bottom of the air intake joint, and the lateral branch pipelines pass through the connecting cavity of the sleeve connector and are connected to the air guide groove.

3. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible connection unit comprises a connection block, the size of the connection block is smaller than the size of the segmented air guide plate, the connection block is made of aluminum alloy, and is an integrated structure with the segmented air guide plate; The connection block is provided with a plurality of paving grooves surrounding the surface of the connection block in the width and thickness directions.

4. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of the making way grooves is two, and the two making way grooves are parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged on the connecting block.

5. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of ventilation holes are provided inside the connection block and penetrate the connection block in the length direction. The number of the ventilation holes corresponds to the number of the air guide grooves on the connection block. Both ends of the ventilation holes are respectively connected to the air guide grooves on the adjacent segmented air guide plates.

6. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the air guide groove is a semicircular curved surface, and the groove walls on both sides close to the groove opening have guiding inclined surfaces which are parallel to each other and inclined toward the outer side of the segmented air guide plate.

7. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible connection unit includes a plurality of hinges for rotatably connecting adjacent segmented air guide plates and a number of ventilation hoses equal to the number of air guide grooves on each segmented air guide plate; The two ends of the ventilation hose are respectively connected to the ends of the air guide grooves on two adjacent segmented air guide plates through joints; Each set of hinges includes a plurality of first side ears, a plurality of second side ears and a pin shaft. One end of the first side ear and the second side ear are respectively connected to the two segmented air guide plates, and the other ends are both semicircular. A through hole matching the pin shaft is opened on the semicircular end. The pin shaft is inserted into the first side ear and the second side ear through the through hole to form a hinge.

8. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 7, characterized in that: Among the first side ear and the second side ear, a limiting protrusion is provided on the side surface of the semicircular end of one, and an arc-shaped limiting groove cooperating with the limiting protrusion is opened along the circumferential direction on the edge of the semicircular end of the other side ear to limit the rotation angle of the hinge.

9. The adaptively deformable Bernoulli gripper according to claim 8, characterized in that: Each set of hinges includes one first side ear and two second side ears, a limiting protrusion is provided on each side of the first side ear, the two second side ears are respectively close to the two sides of the first side ear, and a limiting groove is provided on each end edge of the two second side ears, and the limiting grooves correspond to the limiting protrusions one by one.

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