Robotic End Effector Rack-and-Pinion Pitch Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing end effector designs for robotic arms in the packaging industry face challenges in efficiently picking up items from a first conveyor belt and placing them into packaging at a different pitch, with limited accessibility for maintenance and complex actuation mechanisms that complicate installation and repair.
Innovation Solution
The end effector incorporates a rack and pinion assembly with a robot interface, actuation rods connected to carrier assemblies, and cooperating members that allow indirect connection of carrier assemblies, enabling synchronized movement and easy access for maintenance, along with vacuum ports for pick-up and placement operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carrier assemblies are directly connected to the actuation mechanism, then synchronized movement is achieved, but accessibility for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector is divided into modular components: a stationary frame with the actuation mechanism (rack and pinion), and movable carrier assemblies that can be independently accessed. This segmentation allows the actuation mechanism to remain fixed and accessible while carrier assemblies move independently for maintenance without requiring disassembly of the entire system.
2Productivity
If custom-designed end effectors are used for specific applications, then picking and placement efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector employs a universal frame structure with standardized actuation mechanisms that can accommodate different carrier assembly configurations. The rack and pinion system provides a通用 platform that can be adapted to various picking and placement requirements through reconfiguration of carrier assemblies rather than designing entirely new systems for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier assemblies are designed with movable connections to the frame, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the end effector for different applications. The actuation mechanism enables smooth, controlled movement of carrier assemblies between picked and placed positions, providing adaptability without requiring complex custom designs for each specific task.
3Device complexity
If tie links are used to move carrier assemblies, then actuation is simplified, but operational reliability deteriorates due to high-speed movement and dangling components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the unreliable tie link mechanical system with a rack and pinion actuation mechanism. The rack, fixed to the stationary frame, engages with the pinion gear to provide positive, controlled actuation of carrier assemblies. This substitution eliminates the high-speed dangling movement issues of tie links while maintaining actuation simplicity through the straightforward gear-rack interaction.
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 design enhances the efficiency of item picking and placement by allowing flexible pitch adjustments and simplifies maintenance through improved accessibility, reducing complexity and increasing operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
vacuum ports for pick-up and placement operations
Data Source
AI summary
An end effector for the packaging industry comprises has a frame, a bridge on top of the frame, a rack and pinion assembly, actuation rods, carrier assemblies, and vacuum ports. The rack and pinion assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a robot's rotatable shaft, and to the actuation rods. The actuation rods are fixedly connected to one or more of the carrier assemblies. As the robot's shaft rotates, the rack and pinion assembly is actuated, which actuates the actuation rods, which causes the carrier assemblies fixedly connected to the actuation rods to move longitudinally along the frame. Each carrier assembly includes a carrier block and at least one pick-up member. Each carrier block has at least one arm with a grabber to cooperate with an adjacent arm with grabbers of an adjacent carrier block(s) of the same subgroup.