Suction pad

Abstract

To provide a suction pad which can securely suction even an object which does not give back sufficient reaction force when a pad body is pressed to the object.SOLUTION: A suction pad 1 suctions and holds a fruit F1 and includes: a pad body 5 formed by an elastically deformable member and held at a base end part; a cavity part 6 which is formed in the pad body 5 so as to extend from the base end side to the tip side; and a suction hole 7 which communicates with the cavity part 6 and is open at a tip part of the pad body 5. An opening diameter d1 of the suction hole 7 is smaller than an inner diameter D1 of the cavity part 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a suction pad that suctions and holds an object. [Background technology]

[0002] As a means for holding an object to be arbitrarily operated, a suction pad that vacuum-sucks the object has been conventionally used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, the suction pad (vacuum suction pad 10) has a bellows-like bellows (skirt portion 2) connected to a vacuum source device, a pad holder (edge ​​holder 4) provided at the lower end of the bellows, and an annular pad body (edge ​​portion 5) made of soft rubber fitted into the pad holder. When using the vacuum suction pad 10 to suck up a flat workpiece having irregularities, suction from the vacuum source device is started and the pad body (edge ​​portion 5) is pressed against the workpiece. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the irregularities on the surface of the workpiece t are absorbed by the elastic deformation of the pad body (edge ​​portion 5), thereby ensuring good suction of the workpiece t by the pad body. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the bellows (skirt portion 2) deforms to follow the positional deviation or inclination of the workpiece t, thereby ensuring good suction of the workpiece t by the pad body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5163541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional suction pads have a problem in that it is difficult to achieve good suction on objects that do not provide sufficient reaction force when the pad body is pressed against them. For example, if the object is fruit on a tree, the fruit will move away when the pad body is pressed against the fruit, and there will be no sufficient reaction force from the fruit. In this case, the amount of elastic deformation of the pad body made of soft rubber is small, and it is difficult to completely absorb large irregularities on the surface of the fruit. Therefore, gaps are likely to occur between the pad body and the surface of the fruit, making it difficult to achieve good suction of the fruit with the suction pad.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a suction pad that can effectively adsorb even objects that do not generate sufficient reaction force when the pad body is pressed against them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a suction pad that suctions and holds an object, and is characterized in that it comprises a pad body formed of an elastically deformable member and holding a base end, a hollow portion formed inside the pad body extending from the base end side to the tip end side, and a suction hole that communicates with the hollow portion and opens to the tip end of the pad body, and the opening diameter of the suction hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion.

[0007] In the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the pad body may be formed so that a tip portion thereof is elastically deformable.

[0008] In the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the pad body may be formed so that the tip end is thinner than the base end.

[0009] In the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastically deformable member may be a sponge.

[0010] In addition, in the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the pad body may have a distal end formed of a sponge having open cells, and a proximal end formed of a sponge having closed cells.

[0011] In addition, in the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the pad body may be provided at its tip with a tapered portion in which the inner diameter of the hollow portion decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side.

[0012] In the suction pad according to one aspect of the present invention, the tapered portion may be formed so that the tip end side is thinner than the base end side. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to one aspect of the suction pad of the present invention, it is possible to provide an suction pad that is capable of adsorbing well even objects that do not generate sufficient reaction force when the pad body is pressed against them, or objects that have large irregularities on the surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vacuum suction pad 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for suctioning a fruit F1 by a vacuum suction pad 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for suctioning a fruit F2 by a vacuum suction pad 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vacuum suction pad 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vacuum suction pad 30 according to a modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, a suction pad according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a vacuum suction pad, which is an example of a suction pad, will be described.

[0016] (Configuration of the Vacuum Suction Pad According to the First Embodiment) First, the configuration of the vacuum suction pad according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vacuum suction pad 1 according to the first embodiment. The vacuum suction pad 1 includes a holder support part 2, a pad holder 3, an air flow path 4, a pad main body 5, a cavity part 6, and a suction hole 7.

[0017] The holder support part 2 plays a role of supporting the pad holder 3. The holder support part 2 is formed of a hard material such as resin or metal, or a soft material such as rubber or bellows, has a cylindrical outer shape as shown in Fig. 1, and is provided so as to extend from the base end side to the tip end side of the vacuum suction pad 1. In the present invention, the "base end side" means the side away from the object to be suctioned, and the "tip side" means the side close to the object.

[0018] The pad holder 3 serves to hold the pad main body 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the pad holder 3 is a disk-shaped member made of a hard material such as resin or metal, and has a pad mounting part 8 formed on its outer periphery along the entire circumferential direction. The pad holder 3 thus configured is fixed to the tip of the holder support part 2.

[0019] The air flow path 4 functions as a flow path for discharging air inside the pad main body 5 to the outside. As shown in Fig. 1, this air flow path 4 is provided so as to extend from the base end side to the tip end side, penetrating the holder support part 2 and the pad holder 3. The upstream end of this air flow path 4 is connected to the hollow part 6. On the other hand, the downstream end of the air flow path 4 is connected to a vacuum source device such as a vacuum pump provided externally, although details are not shown in the figure.

[0020] The pad body 5 functions as a contact portion of the vacuum suction pad 1 with the object. The pad body 5 is formed of a closed-cell sponge as an elastically deformable member, and has a main body portion 9 forming its base end and a tapered portion 10 forming its tip end, as shown in FIG. 1. The main body portion 9 has a cylindrical outer shape and is formed so as to gradually thicken from its tip side to its base end side. As a result, the main body portion 9 is less susceptible to elastic deformation at its base end side than at its tip end side. On the other hand, the tapered portion 10 has a tapered outer shape that gradually reduces in diameter from its base end side to its tip end side, and is formed so as to gradually thin from the base end side connected to the main body portion 9 to the tip end side. As a result, the tapered portion 10 is more susceptible to elastic deformation than the main body portion 9, and is more susceptible to elastic deformation toward the tip end side. That is, the pad body 5 is most susceptible to elastic deformation at the edge of the suction hole 7. The closed-cell sponge forming the pad body 5 may be made of a closed-cell sponge such as polyurethane, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, or fluororubber, or a cellulose sponge made of vegetable fibers.

[0021] The hollow portion 6 serves to facilitate elastic deformation of the pad body 5 toward the inside. As shown in FIG. 1, the hollow portion 6 is a hole with a circular cross section formed inside the pad body 5, and opens at the base end surface of the pad body 5. The inner diameter D1 of the hollow portion 6 varies depending on the axial position in accordance with the thickness of the pad body 5. In detail, the inner diameter D1 of the hollow portion 6 gradually increases from the opening toward the tip side, is largest at the connection portion between the main body portion 9 and the tapered portion 10 of the pad body 5, gradually decreases from there toward the tip side, and is smallest at the edge of the suction hole 7.

[0022] The suction hole 7 functions as a flow path for sucking outside air into the inside of the pad body 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the suction hole 7 is formed penetrating the tip surface of the pad body 5 and connects the hollow portion 6 to the outside. The suction hole 7 is formed in a circular cross section and has an opening diameter d1. Here, as described above, the inner diameter D1 of the hollow portion 6 is smallest at the edge of the suction hole 7, so the opening diameter d1 of the suction hole 7 is set smaller than the inner diameter D1 of the hollow portion 6.

[0023] (Effects of the First Embodiment) Next, the effects of the vacuum suction pad 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which fruit on a tree is suctioned using the vacuum suction pad 1. Figures 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for suctioning fruit F1 or fruit F2 by the vacuum suction pad 1.

[0024] First, a case where a fruit F1 having a large uneven surface is suctioned will be described. In this case, the user of the vacuum suction pad 1 first activates the vacuum source device. As a result, the air inside the cavity 6 is discharged to the outside through the air flow path 4, and the internal pressure of the cavity 6 decreases, so that the vacuum suction pad 1 starts to suck the outside air through the suction holes 7. In this state, the user moves the vacuum suction pad 1 in a direction approaching the fruit F1, and lightly presses the vicinity of the suction holes 7 in the pad main body 5 against the fruit F1, as shown in FIG. 2(a). As a result, the pad main body 5 is in a state where a part of the circumferential edge of the suction holes 7 contacts the fruit F1 with respect to the fruit F1 having an irregular surface shape, and the remaining part is separated from the fruit F1.

[0025] Next, the user moves the vacuum suction pad 1 further toward the fruit F1, thereby pressing the pad body 5 against the fruit F1. Here, the pad body 5 is formed of a closed-cell sponge, so that it is easily elastically deformed, and the edge of the suction hole 7, which is formed to be the thinnest, is most easily elastically deformed. Therefore, even with a slight reaction force from the fruit F1, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the pad body 5 elastically deforms so that the edge of the suction hole 7 is crushed toward the cavity 6, and the contact area with the fruit F1 gradually expands radially outward. Then, when the contact area between the pad body 5 and the fruit F1 expands in this way, the suction force with respect to the fruit F1 increases, so that the elastic deformation of the pad body 5 progresses further, and the contact area with the fruit F1 expands radially outward further. After that, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the edge of the suction hole 7 of the pad body 5 is in close contact with the fruit F1 over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. This allows the vacuum suction pad 1 to initially suction the fruit F1.

[0026] Even after the initial suction is established, as the contact area of ​​the pad body 5 with the fruit F1 expands, the suction force for the fruit F1 increases, and as the elastic deformation of the pad body 5 progresses further, the contact area of ​​the pad body 5 with the fruit F1 expands further radially outward. However, the pad body 5 is formed so that the base end side is less susceptible to elastic deformation than the tip end side. That is, the tapered portion 10 of the pad body 5 is formed so as to gradually become thicker from the tip end side toward the base end side. In addition, the main body portion 9 of the pad body 5 is formed so as to be thicker than the tapered portion 10 and gradually become thicker from the tip end side toward the base end side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2(c), when the elastic deformation of the pad body 5 progresses to a predetermined position of the main body portion 9 and the rigidity of the pad body 5 becomes high enough to withstand the suction force, the elastic deformation of the pad body 5 stops, and the vacuum suction pad 1 completely suctions the fruit F1. As a result, the fruit F1 is held immovable, so that the user can perform any operation on the fruit F1.

[0027] In this way, the opening diameter d1 of the suction hole 7 of the pad main body 5 is set smaller than the inner diameter D1 of the cavity 6, so that even when the fruit F1 has a large uneven surface, the edge of the suction hole 7 can be easily attached to a narrow area of ​​the surface of the fruit F1 over the entire circumference. Therefore, the initial suction of the fruit F1 by the vacuum suction pad 1 can be easily established, regardless of the presence of large unevenness. After the initial suction is established, the contact area with the fruit F1 expands due to the elastic deformation of the pad main body 5, and the suction force for the fruit F1 increases accordingly. Therefore, when the elastic deformation of the pad main body 5 stops and the fruit F1 is completely suctioned by the vacuum suction pad 1, the fruit F1 is reliably held with a large suction force. In this way, the vacuum suction pad 1 of the present invention can easily establish the initial suction and ensure a large suction force when the fruit F1 is completely suctioned.

[0028] Next, a case where a fruit F2 that is displaced from the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1 is suctioned will be described. In this case, the user first operates the vacuum source device in the same manner as described above to start suction from the suction holes 7. In this state, the user brings the vacuum suction pad 1 close to the fruit F2 (which is approximately spherical with no irregularities on its surface) as shown in FIG. 3(a) and presses the vicinity of the suction holes 7 in the pad main body 5 against the fruit F2. At this time, the position of the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1 may be displaced from the position of the central axis C2 of the fruit F2. In that case, the pad main body 5 is in a state where a part of the circumferential edge of the suction holes 7 is in contact with the fruit F2 and the remaining part is separated from the fruit F2.

[0029] In this state where the central axis C1 and the central axis C2 do not coincide with each other, the user further moves the vacuum suction pad 1 in a direction approaching the fruit F2, as shown in FIG. 3(b), to press the pad body 5 against the fruit F2. As a result, the pad body 5 elastically deforms so that the portion in contact with the fruit F2 is crushed toward the cavity 6, and the area in contact with the fruit F2 gradually expands radially outward. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the pad body 5 comes into a state where the edge of the suction hole 7 is in close contact with the fruit F2 over the entire circumference, with the central axis C1 not coinciding with the central axis C2 of the fruit F2. As a result, the initial suction of the fruit F2 by the vacuum suction pad 1 is established.

[0030] Thereafter, as described above, as the contact area of ​​the pad main body 5 with the fruit F2 expands, the suction force on the fruit F2 increases, and as the elastic deformation of the pad main body 5 progresses further, the contact area of ​​the pad main body 5 with the fruit F2 expands further radially outward. Then, as shown in Fig. 3(c), when the elastic deformation of the pad main body 5 progresses to a predetermined position of the main body 9 and the rigidity of the pad main body 5 becomes high enough to withstand the suction force, the elastic deformation of the pad main body 5 stops, and the vacuum suction pad 1 completely suctions the fruit F2.

[0031] Here, the pad body 5 is formed so that it gradually becomes thicker from the tip side to the base end side, that is, the base end side is less elastically deformable. Therefore, as the elastic deformation of the pad body 5 expands toward the base end side, the degree of elastic deformation of the pad body 5 becomes uniform regardless of the circumferential position. As a result, in the process from the initial suction of the fruit F2 to the complete suction, the relative positional relationship between the central axis C2 of the fruit F2 and the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1 gradually changes so that the central axis C2 of the fruit F2 approaches the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1. Then, when the complete suction is established as shown in FIG. 3(c), the central axis C2 of the fruit F2 coincides with the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1. This allows the user to perform accurate operations on the fruit F2 held on the central axis C1 of the vacuum suction pad 1.

[0032] Thus, according to the vacuum suction pad 1 of the present invention, even when the fruit F2 is displaced from its central axis C1, the fruit F2 can be completely suctioned on the central axis C1 by changing the relative positional relationship with the fruit F2 by utilizing the property of the pad main body 5, which is easily elastically deformed. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a bellows (not shown) in the holder support part 2 shown in FIG. 1 in order to change the orientation of the vacuum suction pad 1 in response to the displacement of the fruit F2, the structure of the vacuum suction pad 1 can be simplified.

[0033] (Modification of the first embodiment) In this embodiment, the pad body 5 is made of closed-cell sponge. However, the pad body 5 may be made of a porous material other than the closed-cell sponge or a hollow balloon-shaped silicone molded product (e.g., Balloon Hand (registered trademark)) as long as it is elastically deformable and can ensure internal airtightness.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tapered portion 10 at the tip end is formed thinner than the main body portion 9 at the base end so that the tip end of the pad main body 5 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end. However, instead of or in combination with this, the tapered portion 10 may be formed from a material having a lower Young's modulus than the main body portion 9 so that the tip end of the pad main body 5 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end.

[0035] In this embodiment, the tapered portion 10 is formed so that the thickness gradually decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side so that the tip end side of the tapered portion 10 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end side. However, instead of or in combination with this, the tip side may be formed of a material having a lower Young's modulus than the base end side so that the tip side of the tapered portion 10 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end side.

[0036] In this embodiment, the main body 9 is formed so that the wall thickness gradually increases from the tip side to the base end side so that the base end side of the main body 9 is less susceptible to elastic deformation than the tip side. However, instead of or in combination with this, the base end side may be formed of a material having a higher Young's modulus than the tip side so that the base end side of the main body 9 is less susceptible to elastic deformation than the tip side.

[0037] In this embodiment, the holder support part 2 is made of a hard material such as resin or metal. However, although not shown in detail in the figure, the holder support part 2 may be provided with a bellows-like bellows to make the holder support part 2 elastically deformable. In this case, when adsorbing a fruit F2 that is displaced from the central axis of the vacuum suction pad 1, in addition to utilizing the characteristics of the pad main body 5 that is easily elastically deformed as described above, the orientation of the vacuum suction pad 1 changes due to the elastic deformation of the holder support part 2, so that the vacuum suction pad 1 can completely adsorb the fruit F2 on its central axis. Therefore, there is an advantage that even a fruit F2 that is significantly displaced can be reliably adsorbed by the vacuum suction pad 1.

[0038] These modifications of the first embodiment can also be applied as modifications of the second embodiment, which will be described later.

[0039] (Configuration of the Vacuum Suction Pad According to the Second Embodiment) Next, the configuration of a vacuum suction pad 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vacuum suction pad 20 according to the second embodiment. The vacuum suction pad 20 of this embodiment includes a holder support part 2, a pad holder 3, an air flow path 4, a pad body 21, a cavity part 22, and a suction hole 23, similar to the vacuum suction pad 1 of the first embodiment. Here, the holder support part 2, the pad holder 3, and the air flow path 4 have the same configuration as in the first embodiment, so they are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment and will not be described here.

[0040] The pad body 21 is formed of a closed-cell sponge in common with the pad body 21 of the first embodiment, but has a different shape. That is, the pad body 21 of this embodiment has a main body portion 24 forming its base end and a flat portion 25 forming its tip end, as shown in FIG. 4. The main body portion 24 has a cylindrical outer shape and is formed to have a uniform thickness from its tip end side to its base end side. On the other hand, the flat portion 25 is a flat surface extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the vacuum suction pad 20, and is formed to be thinner than the main body portion 24 and to have a uniform thickness regardless of the radial position. This makes the entire surface of the flat portion 25 more elastically deformable than the main body portion 24.

[0041] 4, the hollow portion 22 is a hole with a circular cross section formed inside the main body portion 24 of the pad main body 21. The hollow portion 22 is formed so that the inner diameter D2 is constant from the tip end side to the base end side. Other points are the same as the hollow portion 6 of the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted here.

[0042] 4, the suction hole 23 is formed penetrating the flat portion 25 of the pad body 21, and communicates the hollow portion 22 with the outside. The suction hole 23 is formed to have a circular cross section, and the opening diameter d2 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the hollow portion 22. Other points are the same as those of the suction hole 7 in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0043] (Effects of the second embodiment) Next, the effect of the vacuum suction pad 20 according to the second embodiment will be described. The vacuum suction pad 20 according to the second embodiment, like the vacuum suction pad 1 according to the first embodiment, can easily establish initial suction and ensure a large suction force when complete suction is established when suctioning a fruit F1 having a large uneven surface. That is, since the opening diameter d2 of the suction hole 23 is set smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the cavity 22, it is easy to make the edge of the suction hole 23 adhere to the narrow area of ​​the surface of the fruit F1 over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. Therefore, regardless of the presence of large unevenness, the vacuum suction pad 20 can easily establish initial suction of the fruit F1.

[0044] In addition, the vacuum suction pad 20 of the second embodiment is slightly inferior to the vacuum suction pad 20 of the first embodiment in terms of its performance in suctioning the fruit F2 that is displaced from its central axis. That is, the main body 24 of the pad body 21 is less susceptible to elastic deformation than the flat part 25. Therefore, in the process in which the elastic deformation of the pad body 21 expands from the flat part 25 to the main body 24, the relative positional relationship between the two changes slightly so that the central axis of the fruit F2 approaches the central axis of the vacuum suction pad 20. However, the flat part 25 is formed to have a uniform thickness over its entire surface, and the main body 24 is also formed to have a uniform thickness from its tip side to its base side. Therefore, it can be said that the effect of the elastic deformation of the pad body 21 expanding toward the base side and becoming uniform regardless of its circumferential position is lower than that of the first embodiment.

[0045] However, the pad body 21 of the second embodiment has a simpler shape than the pad body 5 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the vacuum suction pad 20 of the second embodiment has an advantage that it can be manufactured through simpler steps and at lower cost than the vacuum suction pad 1 of the first embodiment.

[0046] (Modification of the second embodiment) In this embodiment, the flat portion 25, which is the tip end, is formed thinner than the main body portion 24, which is the base end, so that the tip end of the pad main body 21 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end. However, instead of or in combination with this, the flat portion 25 may be formed of a material having a lower Young's modulus than the main body portion 24, so that the tip end of the pad main body 21 is more easily elastically deformed than the base end.

[0047] In this embodiment, the main body 24 and the flat portion 25 of the pad body 21 are both formed of closed cell sponge. However, it is also possible to form the main body 24 and the flat portion 25 of different materials with different breathability. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vacuum suction pad 30 according to a modified example of this embodiment. In this vacuum suction pad 30, the main body 32 constituting the pad body 31 is formed of closed cell sponge, and the flat portion 33 is formed of semi-open cell sponge. Here, the semi-open cell sponge means a sponge in which closed cells and open cells are mixed, and has characteristics of being breathable and easily deformable elastically compared to the closed cell sponge. Note that the other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, so the same reference numerals as those of the second embodiment are used and the description is omitted here.

[0048] When the flat portion 33 is formed of a semi-open cell sponge in this way, the vacuum suction pad 30 not only sucks in outside air through the suction holes 23, but also through the entire surface of the flat portion 33. Therefore, after the initial suction of the fruit is established, the fruit is strongly suctioned by the entire surface of the flat portion 33 and the suction holes 23, so that the contact area of ​​the pad body 31 with the fruit is rapidly expanded, and complete suction of the fruit is established early. Furthermore, even after complete suction of the fruit is established, the fruit is suctioned not only by the suction holes 23 but also by the entire surface of the flat portion 33, so that there is an advantage that the suction force after complete suction can be increased. Note that the main body portion 32 of the pad body 31 is formed of a closed cell sponge with no air permeability, so that the inflow and outflow of air through the main body portion 32 does not hinder the initial suction of the fruit or the establishment of complete suction. [Industrial Applicability]

[0049] The vacuum suction pad according to the present invention can be used not only for harvesting fruits, but also for adhering to uneven objects that do not generate sufficient reaction force when the pad body is pressed against them. For example, the vacuum suction pad according to the present invention can be used for transporting irregularly shaped workpieces that are precariously placed or workpieces that have weak friction with the ground surface and are easily displaced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Vacuum suction pad 2 Holder support 3 Pad holder 4 Air Flow Path 5 Pad body 6 Cavity 7 Suction holes 8 Pad mounting part 9 Main body 10 Tapered section 20 Vacuum suction pad 21 Pad body 22 Cavity 23 Suction hole 24 Main body 25 Flat area 30 Vacuum suction pad 31 Pad body 32 Main body 33 Flat area C1 center axis C2 center axis D1 Inner diameter D2 Inner diameter d1 Opening diameter d2 Opening diameter F1 Fruit F2 Fruit

Claims

1. A suction pad that suctions and holds an object, A pad body formed of an elastically deformable member and having a base end held therein; A hollow portion is formed inside the pad body so as to extend from a base end side to a tip end side; a suction hole communicating with the hollow portion and opening at a tip portion of the pad body, The opening diameter of the suction hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion, A suction pad characterized in that, when suctioning the object, the pad body elastically deforms so that the edges of the suction holes are crushed toward the hollow portion.

2. 2. The suction pad according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the pad body is formed to be elastically deformable.

3. 3. The suction pad according to claim 2, wherein the pad body is formed so that the tip end is thinner than the base end.

4. 4. The suction pad according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable member is a sponge.

5. 5. The suction pad according to claim 4, wherein the distal end of said pad body is made of a sponge having open cells, and the proximal end of said pad body is made of a sponge having closed cells.

6. 6. The suction pad according to claim 1, wherein the pad body is provided at its tip with a tapered portion in which the inner diameter of the hollow portion decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side.

7. 7. The suction pad according to claim 6, wherein the tapered portion is formed so that its tip end is thinner than its base end.

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