Article Holding Device with Adsorption and Sandwiching Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing article holding devices face challenges in stably supporting articles due to a limited contact area, which can lead to instability and reduced responsiveness, especially with varying article shapes and weights.

Innovation Solution

The article holding device incorporates an adsorption mechanism with multiple adsorption pads and a sandwiching mechanism featuring rotatable sandwiching arms and a sandwiching plate, allowing for increased contact area and stable holding by optimizing the contact pressure and area through servo motors and torque sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the contact area of each sandwiching arm is increased to stably support the article, then the holding stability is improved, but the sandwiching arm becomes upsized and heavier, making it difficult to maintain constant followingness and responsiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding stabilityVSAvoidsandwiching arm weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The sandwiching mechanism is divided into multiple sandwiching arms (first sandwiching arm and second sandwiching arm) that can independently contact the article. This segmentation allows the system to achieve stable holding through distributed contact points rather than relying on a single large-contact-area arm, thus maintaining responsiveness while improving stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The holding mechanism transitions from relying solely on the sandwiching arms for contact to incorporating an adsorption mechanism that provides contact from a different dimension (upper surface adsorption). This multi-dimensional contact approach allows stable holding without increasing the size and weight of the sandwiching arms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the contact area of each sandwiching arm is increased to stably support the article, then the holding stability is improved, but the responsiveness for sandwiching operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding stabilityVSAvoidsandwiching operation responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the contact function across multiple smaller sandwiching arms rather than one large arm, the system maintains agility and responsiveness. Each arm can move independently and quickly, preserving speed while the collective arrangement provides stable holding through multiple contact points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adsorption mechanism uses pneumatic principles to provide holding force through vacuum adsorption on the upper surface of the article. This allows the sandwiching arms to remain lightweight and responsive while the adsorption mechanism contributes to stable holding, resolving the contradiction between stability and responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Reliability

If multiple sandwiching arms are used to increase contact area, then the holding stability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveholding stabilityVSAvoidsandwiching mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adsorption mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides primary holding force through vacuum adsorption and also contributes to stability by contacting the upper surface of the article. This multi-functionality reduces the burden on the sandwiching arms, allowing them to remain simpler in design while still achieving stable holding through their lateral contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 configuration enables stable holding of articles from both the upper and lateral sides, maintaining constant responsiveness and stability, even with heavy or irregularly shaped objects, and reduces the size and weight of the holding device.

Implementation Method 1

an adsorption mechanism 11 which adsorbs an article P

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum suction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP3708310B1Article holding device and article holding system
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP3708310B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3708310B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3708310B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Provided is a holding technology whereby an article, i.e., a subject to be held, can be stably held by increasing a contact area with respect to the article. An article holding device according to an embodiment of the present invention has a holding main body 10, a suction mechanism 11, and a sandwiching mechanism 12. The sandwiching mechanism is provided with sandwiching arms 14a, 14b, which come into contact with one side of the article, and a board-like sandwiching plate 15 that comes into planar contact with the other side of the article.