Surface suction gripper for picking up and handling objects with integrated sensor elements

Abstract

Surface suction gripper (10) for suctioning and handling objects (40), comprising a base module (12) in which a vacuum chamber (14) is provided, wherein the base module (12) has suction openings (18) on a suction side (20), wherein an elastically compressible structure (22, 24, 56, 60) extending away from the base module (12) and having through-openings (26) corresponding to the suction openings (18) is arranged on the suction side (20) and has a contact surface (30) for contacting the object (40) to be suctioned, wherein in operation the structure (22) or a section of the structure (22) in which no objects are held against the contact surface (30) assumes a neutral state, and wherein in operation the structure (22) or a section (42) of the structure in which objects (40) are held against the contact surface (30) are held in a suction state, are characterized by,that several first sensor elements (46) are provided on the suction side (20) or in or on the structure (22) near the suction side (20), forming a first sensor field (32); that several second sensor elements (44) are provided in or on the structure (22), spaced apart from the first sensor field (32) and between the first sensor field (32) and the contact surface (30) or on the contact surface (30), forming a second sensor field (34); and that the first sensor elements (46) and / or the second sensor elements (44) interact and are configured such that sensor signals are generated by the first and / or second sensor elements (44, 46) only in the subsection of the sensor field (32, 34) affected by the compression state, at the latest when the compression state is reached.