Vertical vacuum gripper device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vertical vacuum gripper device. The gripper device includes a cylindrical body incorporating a vertically mounted air ejector, a connector fastened to the bottom of the body, and a suction pad connected to the connector. The body includes an upper cover with multiple air supply ports, a waste pipe formed on the lower bottom surface parallel to the ejector and communicating with the interior of the pad, an air exhaust port formed on the lower side, and a passage formed on the bottom surface communicating with the interior of the upper body and the lower pad. This forms a vacuum flow path extending from a first supply port to the ejector and then to the exhaust port, and a waste flow path extending from a second supply port to the waste pipe and then to the interior of the pad.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum gripper device, and more particularly, to a device that operates by high-speed compressed air with a stem during vacuum transfer and is used to adsorb and grip an object.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a vacuum gripper device includes a hollow main body, a suction pad connected to a suction port on one side of the main body, and a vacuum ejector mounted inside the main body. When compressed air passes through the ejector at high speed with the pad in contact with the surface of the object, the air inside the pad is attracted into the ejector and discharged to the outside together with the compressed air. In this process, a vacuum and negative pressure are generated inside the pad.

[0003] The object is adsorbed to the pad by the generated negative pressure and transferred to a position determined by an automation or robotics system.

[0004] As an example, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0131617 discloses a "vacuum gripper device". As can be seen from this disclosure, the vacuum gripper device is configured in a horizontal, that is, "horizontal" box shape based on an internal ejector, and usually the pad is connected directly downward to a side port of the box. This type of "horizontal" device occupies a large amount of space during installation and is not economical, and there are application limitations such as being difficult to use in a form of a large number of closely arranged manifolds.

[0005] As another example, Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1157542 (U.S. Patent No. 9,151,300) discloses an "inline vacuum pump". The inline vacuum pump disclosed herein is configured in a vertical, that is, "vertical" cylindrical shape based on an internal ejector, and the pad is connected directly downward to an end of the cylinder.

[0006] The disclosed "vertical" device has advantages in installation and application compared to the "horizontal" device described above. However, it has problems such as the complex design and cumbersome operation required to generate and, if necessary, release a vacuum in the pad, and the difficulty in installing and operating an air valve, i.e., a check valve, inside the device. On the other hand, it is difficult to vary the number of ejectors used in the device, which means it cannot accommodate the grip characteristics actually required in the field. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Korean Published Patent No. 10-2009-0131617 [Patent Document 2] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1157542 [Patent Document 3] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1659517 [Patent Document 4] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1019948 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention relates to a "vertical" vacuum gripper device and was proposed to solve the problems of the conventional vacuum gripper devices described above.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a vertical vacuum gripper device that can be easily manufactured and operated by simplifying the design for generating and discharging vacuum. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vertical vacuum gripper device in which the installation and operation of the valves are effective by optimally arranging each valve inside the device. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vertical vacuum gripper device that can flexibly respond to the grip characteristics of the device required in the field by making the number of ejectors applied to the device variable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The vacuum gripper device of the present invention is A device comprising a cylindrical body containing a vertically mounted air ejector, a connector fastened to the lower end of the body, and a suction pad connected to the connector, The aforementioned main body is An upper cover having multiple air supply ports, A waste pipe formed on the lower bottom surface parallel to the ejector, the inside of which the pipe communicates with the internal space of the pad, An air outlet is formed at the bottom of the side, A passage formed on the bottom surface, which connects the internal spaces of the upper body and the lower pad, Includes, A vacuum channel is formed that extends from the first supply port through the ejector to the discharge port, and a waste channel is formed that extends from the second supply port through the waste pipe to the internal space of the pad. It is characterized by the following.

[0011] Preferably, the connector is A ring-shaped member having first and second holes formed in the internal space of the pad, which communicate with the waste pipe and passage respectively, and which is set at a predetermined distance from the bottom surface, The second hole is equipped with a check valve that allows airflow only in the direction from the internal space of the pad toward the passage, and the check valve opens and closes the second hole by moving up and down within the range of the aforementioned interval. It is characterized by

[0012] On the other hand, the first hole is provided with a check valve that allows air flow only in the direction from the waste pipe towards the internal space of the pad, and the check valve moves up and down by the pressure of compressed air to open and close the first hole. It is characterized by

[0013] Preferably, the main body includes a plurality of ejector placement bases formed around the waste pipe, more specifically, around the waste pipe centered on the waste pipe. By providing each ejector detachably on the placement base, the number of applicable ejectors in the vacuum gripper device can be made variable. It is characterized by

[0014] On the other hand, the main body includes a pressure pipe formed parallel to the ejector and the waste pipe, penetrating the bottom surface and communicating with the internal space of the pad, and a sensor connector formed by extending from the pressure pipe to one side of the cover and capable of directly measuring the pressure (-kPa) of the internal space of the pad. It further includes

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the vacuum gripper device of the present invention, the main elements of the device such as the ejector, the waste pipe, and the pressure pipe are all formed parallel to each other in the vertical direction within the main body and are designed to extend through the cover at the upper end of the main body. Therefore, there is an effect that the production and operation of the entire device become simple. In addition, there is an effect that the check valve can be easily arranged in place by using the connector structure. On the other hand, by installing the air ejector detachably on the placement base, there is an effect that the number can be appropriately varied according to the on-site situation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the vacuum gripper device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exploded view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line “A - A” of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line “B - B” of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is an operation diagram of “vacuum” using FIG. 4. [Figure 7] It is an operation diagram of “disposal” using FIG. 5.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] The features and effects of the “vertical vacuum gripper device” (hereinafter, “vacuum gripper device”) of the present invention described above or not described will be further clarified by the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the entire drawings, the vacuum gripper device of the present invention is indicated by the reference numeral 10.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the vacuum gripper device 10 of the present invention includes a cylindrical main body 12 incorporating an air ejector 11 attached in the vertical direction, a connector 13 fastened to the lower end of the main body 12, and a suction pad 14 connected to the connector 13. Here, the ejector 11 is a normal air ejector having through holes 11a formed in the side wall. In the drawings, the pad 14 is directly connected to the connector 13, but it may be located at a distance from the connector 13 using a hose or the like.

[0019] Specifically, the main body 12 includes an upper cover 16 in which a plurality of air supply ports 15a, 15b are formed, a tube formed parallel to the ejector 11 on the lower bottom surface 17, the inside of the tube communicating with the internal space of the pad 14, a disposal tube 18, an air discharge port 19 formed in the lower part of the side surface, a passage 20 formed in the bottom surface 17 and communicating the internal spaces of the upper main body 12 and the lower pad 14 with each other, and includes.

[0020] This creates a vacuum channel 21 extending from the first supply port 15a of the cover 16 through the ejector 11 to the discharge port 19, and a waste channel 22 extending from the second supply port 15b of the cover 16 through the waste pipe 18 to the internal space of the pad 14.

[0021] The connector 13 is a ring-shaped member having a first hole 23 and a second hole 24 formed therein, which communicate the internal space of the pad 14 with the waste pipe 18 and the passage 20, respectively, and is installed below the bottom surface 17 at a predetermined distance d. The second hole 24 is provided with a check valve 25 that allows air to flow only in the direction from the internal space of the pad 14 toward the passage 2, and the check valve 25 can open and close the second hole 24 by moving up and down within the range of the distance d.

[0022] Here, the check valve 25 of the second hole 24 is a flexible rubber plate.

[0023] On the other hand, the first hole 23 is equipped with a check valve 26 that allows air to flow only in the direction from the waste pipe 18 toward the internal space of the pad 14, and the first hole 23 can be opened and closed by the up-and-down movement of the check valve 26 due to the pressure of compressed air. Here, the check valve 26 of the first hole 23 is a valve supported by the elasticity of a spring.

[0024] In this embodiment, the main body 12 includes a plurality of ejector mounting bases 27 formed around the discard pipe 18. Each ejector 11 is detachably provided to the mounting base 27, allowing the number of ejectors 11 applied within the vacuum gripper device 10 to be appropriately varied. For example, the number of ejectors 11 can be increased if the object W is large and heavy, and conversely, the number of ejectors 11 can be decreased if the object is relatively light.

[0025] On the other hand, the main body 12 is A pressure pipe 28 is formed parallel to the ejector 11 and the waste pipe 18, and penetrates the bottom surface 17 to communicate with the internal space of the pad 14, A sensor connector 29 extends from the pressure pipe to one side of the cover 16 and is formed to directly measure the pressure (-kPa) in the internal space of the pad 14, It also includes.

[0026] The coupling device 29 sensor determines whether the internal space of the pad 14 in the vacuum transfer system has reached an appropriate vacuum and negative pressure capable of gripping the object W, and thereby can provide useful information for determining whether or not compressed air can be supplied.

[0027] Reference numeral 30 denotes a so-called "silencer," which is attached to the outer wall of the main body 12, surrounding the air outlet 19. Inside, a spiral sound-absorbing material 31 is arranged, and a discharge hole 32 communicating with the spiral path is formed at the tip. The structure of the silencer 30 has the effect of extending the length of the outlet 19 to the maximum extent possible, and can effectively absorb and remove noise generated when air is discharged while minimizing exhaust resistance.

[0028] In this embodiment, the silencer 30 is rotatably mounted, thereby allowing the direction of air discharge to be adjusted as desired. For ease of installation, the silencer 30 is composed of two parts and assembled on the left and right sides of the main body 12.

[0029] Previously, the first supply port 15a, the second supply port 15b, and the sensor connector 29 were arranged adjacent to each other on the cover 16 of the main body 12 (see Figure 3), and a vacuum was formed or released inside the suction pad 14 by supplying compressed air to the first supply port 15a or the second supply port 15b.

[0030] Referring to Figure 6, first, compressed air is supplied to the first supply port 15a while the pad 14 is in contact with the surface of the workpiece W (see arrow (1)), and the supplied compressed air passes at high speed through the vacuum flow path 21 which extends from the first supply port 15a to the ejector 11 and then to the discharge port 19 and is discharged to the outside (see arrows (2), (3), and (4)).

[0031] During this process, a pressure drop occurs at the through-hole 11a in the side wall of the ejector 11, causing the internal air of the pad 14 to pass sequentially through the second hole 24 of the connector 13 and the passage 20 of the bottom surface 17 into the main body 12, and then be drawn into the ejector 11 and discharged to the outside along with the compressed air (see arrows (4) and (5)). As the internal air of the pad 14 is exhausted in this manner, a vacuum and negative pressure are generated in the internal space of the pad 14, and the object W can be attracted and gripped by the pad 14 due to the generated negative pressure.

[0032] During this exhaust process, impurities on the surface of the object W may interfere with the intake passage, which extends from the internal space of the pad 14 to the second hole 24 → passage 20 → ejector 11 → outlet 19, thereby obstructing the exhaust. Therefore, in this embodiment, an air filter 33 is placed in an optimal position. In the drawing, the filter 33 is shown to be placed inside the pad 14, but it can be placed inside the connector 13 or between the pad 14 and the connector 13.

[0033] For example, when the vacuum pressure of the pad 14 reaches an appropriate level, the supply of compressed air may be interrupted by a signal from the connector 29 sensor, at which point the check valve 25 flows downward and blocks the second hole 24 of the connector 13.

[0034] Once the object W is attracted to the pad 14 at an appropriate vacuum pressure level, it is transported to a location determined by an automated or robotic system connected to the main body 12. After the transport is complete, the pad 14 and the object W are separated, and the pad 14 is prepared for subsequent work. However, for the sake of work productivity, the pad 14 needs to be separated from the object W quickly.

[0035] Referring to Figure 7, once the transfer of the object W is complete, the compressed air is supplied to another supply port, namely the second supply port 15b (see arrow (6)), and the supplied compressed air flows sequentially through the waste flow path 22 which extends from the second supply port 15b → waste pipe 18 → into the internal space of the pad 14 (see arrows (7) and (8)). During this process, impurities attached to the bottom surface of the filter 33 are removed by the downward pressure of the supplied compressed air.

[0036] In short, the compressed air supplied to the second supply port 15b is directly supplied to the internal space of the pad 14 via the waste passage 22, where the vacuum and negative pressure formed in the internal space of the pad 14 are instantaneously released, thereby allowing the pad 14 to be quickly separated from the object W. Once the pad 14 is separated in this way, the supply of compressed air is interrupted, and at this time, the check valve 25 flows upward due to the elasticity of the spring and blocks the first hole 23 of the connector 13.

[0037] As can be seen from the above description, the vacuum gripper device 10 of the present invention is The main elements of the device 10, such as the ejector 11, the waste pipe 18, and the pressure pipe 28, are all formed parallel to each other in the vertical direction within the body 12 and are extended via the cover 16 at the upper end of the main body 12. Using the structure of connector 13, valves 25 and 26 are positioned appropriately. By making the ejector 11 detachably mounted on the base 27, the number of ejectors can be appropriately varied depending on the site conditions. It is designed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 10: Vacuum Gripper Device 11: Ejector 11a: Through hole 12: Main unit 13: Connector 14: Pad 15a: 1st supply port 15b: 2nd supply port 16: Cover 17: Bottom 18: Disposal pipe 19: Outlet 20: Passageway 21: Vacuum channel 22: Disposal channel 23: 1st hole 24: 2nd hole 25, 26: Check valve 27: Stand 28: Pressure tube 29: Connector 30: Silencer 31: Sound-absorbing material 32:Discharge hole 33: Filter d: interval W: Target

Claims

1. The device includes a cylindrical body (12) that houses a vertically mounted air ejector (11), a connector (13) fastened to the lower end of the body (12), and a suction pad (14) connected to the connector (13), The aforementioned main body (12) is The device includes an upper cover (16) having multiple air supply ports (15a), (15b), a waste pipe (18) formed on the lower bottom surface (17) parallel to the ejector (11) with the inside of the pipe communicating with the internal space of the suction pad (14), an air outlet (19) formed at the lower part of the side surface, and a passage (20) formed on the bottom surface (17) that communicates the internal spaces of the upper body (12) and the lower suction pad (14) with each other. A vacuum channel (21) is formed that extends from the first supply port (15a) through the ejector (11) to the air outlet (19), and a waste channel (22) is formed that extends from the second supply port (15b) through the waste pipe (18) to the internal space of the suction pad (14). The system includes a plurality of ejector mounting bases (27) formed around the waste pipe (18), and each ejector (11) is provided detachably to the mounting base (27), thereby allowing the number of applicable ejectors (11) in the main body (12) to be varied. A vertical vacuum gripper device characterized by the following:

2. The connector (13) is a ring-shaped member having a first hole (23) and a second hole (24) formed therein, which allow the internal space of the suction pad (14) to communicate with the waste pipe (18) and the passage (20), respectively, and is installed at a predetermined distance (d) from the bottom surface (17). The second hole (24) is provided with a check valve (25) that allows air to flow only in the direction from the internal space of the suction pad (14) toward the passage (20), and the check valve (25) opens and closes the second hole (24) by moving up and down within the range of the interval (d). A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The first hole (23) is equipped with a check valve (26) that allows air to flow only in the direction from the waste pipe (18) toward the internal space of the suction pad (14), and the check valve (26) opens and closes the first hole (23) by moving up and down due to the pressure of compressed air. A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The main body (12) includes a waste pipe (18) as the center and a plurality of ejector mounting bases (27) formed around it. A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The main body (12) is A pressure pipe (28) is formed parallel to the ejector (11) and the waste pipe (18), and penetrates the bottom surface (17) to communicate with the internal space of the suction pad (14), A sensor connector (29) extends from the pressure pipe (28) to one side of the upper cover (16), It further includes, The pressure (-kPa) in the internal space of the suction pad (14) is to be measured directly. A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

6. The main body (12) further includes a silencer (30) attached to the outer wall of the main body (12) while surrounding the air outlet (19), and the silencer (30) is A spiral-shaped sound-absorbing material (31) is arranged inside, and an air discharge hole (32) that communicates with the spiral-shaped path is formed at the tip. A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

7. The silencer (30) is rotatably mounted and configured so that the direction of the discharge hole can be arbitrarily adjusted. A vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 6, characterized by the above.

8. The vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 6, characterized in that the silencer (30) is composed of two parts and assembled on the left and right sides of the main body (12).

9. The vertical vacuum gripper device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air filter (33) is positioned inside the suction pad (14), inside the connector (13), or between the suction pad (14) and the connector (13).

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