Anisotropic Adhesive Grippers for Irregular Inventory Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Modern inventory systems face challenges in efficiently handling irregularly shaped, positioned, or collapsible items due to limitations in existing robotic handlers, which result in inefficient resource utilization, long response times, and high costs associated with capacity or functionality changes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of inventory handlers equipped with anisotropically adhesive gripping elements that generate adhesive force through lateral strain, allowing for the manipulation of items without pinching or compressing, thereby accommodating diverse inventory items, including those with complex geometries or in flexible packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional robotic handlers are used to manipulate inventory items, then automation and throughput are improved, but the ability to handle irregularly shaped, positioned, or collapsible items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical gripping systems with anisotropically adhesive gripping elements that utilize shear-dependent adhesion rather than mechanical pinching or compression. This substitution enables the robotic handler to manipulate irregularly shaped, positioned, or collapsible items without the limitations of traditional mechanical grippers, thereby maintaining high throughput while significantly improving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of gripping force application from normal compression to lateral shear force. The anisotropically adhesive gripping elements generate strong adhesion when subjected to lateral strain but release easily when shear is removed, enabling versatile handling of diverse inventory items while maintaining automated productivity.
2Force
If robotic handlers use pinching or compressing gripping methods, then gripping force is improved, but damage to inventory items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical pinching and compressing forces with shear-dependent anisotropic adhesion. The gripping elements apply lateral shear force to engage the adhesive mechanism, which then holds items through molecular adhesion rather than mechanical compression, eliminating damage to inventory items while maintaining sufficient gripping force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent fundamentally changes the gripping force parameter from normal compressive stress to lateral shear stress. This parameter change allows the system to achieve strong gripping force through adhesive mechanisms that do not compress or deform the inventory items, thereby eliminating damage while maintaining effective force.
3Productivity
If inventory systems increase capacity or functionality, then throughput and handling capability are improved, but cost and infrastructure changes deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal anisotropically adhesive gripping elements that can handle diverse inventory items including regularly shaped, irregularly shaped, positioned, and collapsible items with a single device configuration. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple specialized handlers or infrastructure changes, increasing throughput and handling capability while minimizing device complexity and cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables robust and reversible adhesion, allowing for the efficient handling of a wide range of inventory items, including loose or amorphous objects, without damaging them, and improves system throughput by enabling high packing density and flexible capacity adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
gripping elements having anisotropically adhesive surfaces that exert an adhesive force when the gripping elements are undergoing lateral strain
Implementation Method 2
the adhesive force is substantially independent of a magnitude of the lateral separating force, provided that the lateral separating force exceeds a threshold value
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Robotic inventory handlers (100) can include two or more gripping elements (114, 118) connected with a lifting assembly (106). The gripping elements can be subjected to outward lateral force when in contact with inventory items such that the anisotropically adhesive surface (124, 126) engages an inventory item with an adhesive force. Inventory systems can employ robotic inventory handlers as described to lift and displace inventory items using the adhesive force.