Flexible Retaining Wall for Component Feeder Gripper Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retaining walls in component feeders are either too high, causing collisions with robot grippers, or too low, compromising component retention, making it difficult to pick components near the wall without interference.
Innovation Solution
A flexible retaining wall made of materials with low Young's modulus, such as neoprene, that deforms under force and returns to its original shape, allowing robot grippers to access components close to the wall without impeding access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high retaining wall is used to prevent component escape, then resistance against component escape is improved, but robot gripper access to components near the wall is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining wall is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically deform when the robot gripper approaches and then return to its original position. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by enabling both high component retention (when the wall is in its upright position) and easy robot access (when the wall flexes aside).
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining wall's material properties are changed by selecting materials with low Young's modulus values (less than 50 MPa, preferably less than 10 MPa). This parameter change enables the wall to be sufficiently flexible for robot access while maintaining adequate stiffness to prevent component escape under normal operating conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid retaining wall is used, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility for robot gripper access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining wall is constructed as a flexible structure using materials such as rubber, silicone rubber, or foam rubber. These flexible shell materials provide the necessary adaptability for robot gripper access while maintaining sufficient structural stability to contain components during the picking operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining wall may be constructed from composite materials or materials with specific mechanical properties that combine flexibility and stability. The use of elastomeric materials provides both the flexibility needed for robot access and the structural integrity required to prevent component escape.
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
The flexible retaining wall effectively prevents component escape while allowing easy access by robot grippers, maintaining high resistance against component escape with a smaller footprint around the pick surface.
Implementation Method 1
The retaining wall is flexible such that it deforms when a force is applied on it, and it assumes its original shape when the force is no longer applied
Data Source
AI summary
A component feeder includes a distributor for distributing components from a bulk storage on a pick surface, and a retaining wall preventing the components from escaping the pick surface. The retaining wall is flexible such that it deforms when a force is applied on it, and it assumes its original shape when the force is no longer applied. The flexible retaining wall allows a robot gripper to push the retaining wall aside when picking a component close to the retaining wall.