Dual-Material Vacuum Cup for Flexible Parcel Grasping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vacuum-based end effectors are inadequate in grasping parcels of various shapes, sizes, and materials, particularly flexible plastic bags or bags with wrinkled or non-uniform surfaces, due to their limited ability to provide sufficient suction and adaptability.
Innovation Solution
A dual-material vacuum cup design featuring a bellows, a lip made of elastomeric material like silicone rubber, and an insert made of foam material like polyethylene or polyurethane, which allows for effective suction and grasping of diverse parcel types by varying air flow rates and compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single-material vacuum cup is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot effectively grasp flexible plastic bags or parcels with wrinkled or non-uniform surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum cup employs a composite structure consisting of a rigid bellows body made from moldable material and a compliant lip made from elastomeric material. This combination allows the cup to maintain structural integrity while adapting to various parcel surfaces, solving the contradiction between structural simplicity and grasping versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The lip portion of the vacuum cup is made from elastomeric material that can be molded into specific profiles (such as U-shaped, V-shaped, or W-shaped) to match different parcel geometries. This localized customization of material properties and geometry enables effective grasping of diverse parcel types without complicating the overall cup structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid vacuum cup structure is used, then manufacturing precision is easy to achieve, but it cannot adapt to wrinkled or non-uniform surfaces of flexible packaging
Solution Approach 1:
The lip of the vacuum cup is constructed from elastomeric material that provides flexibility and compliance. This allows the lip to conform to wrinkled or non-uniform surfaces of flexible packaging materials, enabling effective vacuum sealing and grasping while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through molding processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows is made from highly compliant material, then it can adapt to various parcel shapes, but it cannot provide sufficient structural support for stable grasping
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows body is made from moldable material that provides rigid structural support, while the lip is made from elastomeric material that provides compliance for shape adaptation. This composite construction resolves the contradiction by assigning different functional requirements to different parts of the vacuum cup structure.
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
Enables the vacuum cup to securely engage and transport parcels of different sizes, shapes, and materials, including flexible packaging, by providing a consistent and adaptable suction force.
Implementation Method 1
The bellows defines a pathway along which a flow of air can travel, and the lip defines an opening in fluid communication with the pathway, such that air drawn through the opening defined by the lip subsequently travels through the bellows
Data Source
AI summary
A dual-material vacuum cup for a vacuum-based end effector includes a bellows having a proximal end configured for connection to the end effector and a distal end. The bellows also defines a pathway for a flow of air. A lip is connected to the distal end of the bellows, the lip defining an opening in fluid communication with the pathway for the flow of air. An insert is then connected to a distal end of the lip, and the insert is in fluid communication with the opening defined by the lip. To engage parcels of various dimension and construction, the lip is composed of a first material (such as silicone rubber or another elastomeric material), while the insert is comprised of a second material (such as a foam material).