Food-safe, washable interface for exchanging tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tool changers in the food service industry are not food-safe, lack compliance for misalignment, and are not designed to handle the specific requirements of quick service food preparation, such as cleanliness, temperature resistance, and wash-down compatibility, making them unsuitable for robotic meal assembly in quick service food restaurants.
Innovation Solution
A food-safe tool changer system using low-load, food-safe materials with a nested configurable drive shaft and rotational capabilities, featuring a housing with ball bearings and a utensil mating bracket with locking members, allowing for accurate and secure attachment of utensils while enabling compliance with misalignment, and incorporating pneumatic or rotary actuation for tool exchange without additional actuators on the tool side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tool changers are used in food service, then tool exchange capability is provided, but food safety and wash-down compatibility are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the tool changer components to be food-safe and wash-down compatible. The housing, tool, and interface components are made from materials that can withstand food service environmental requirements including exposure to water, cleaning chemicals, and temperature variations, while maintaining their mechanical functionality for tool exchange.
2Manufacturing precision
If a rigid interface is used between tool and robot, then geometric precision is improved, but compliance for misalignment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different mechanical properties to different parts of the interface. The distal end of the tool shank incorporates a compliant mechanism with reduced stiffness compared to the main tool body, allowing localized deformation to accommodate misalignment while the rest of the interface maintains rigid geometric precision for accurate positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface transitions from a completely rigid structure to a dynamically adaptive structure. The compliant mechanism at the distal end can dynamically adjust its stiffness and shape during the attachment process, initially allowing movement to accommodate misalignment, then locking into a precise final position once mated with the robot flange.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional actuators are placed on the tool side, then tool exchange capability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot flange is designed with integrated locking members that can perform both the locking and unlocking functions. The same locking members that secure the tool during operation also serve as the release mechanism when actuated by the robot's existing actuators, eliminating the need for separate actuators on the tool side.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool exchange mechanism is designed so that the tool itself does not require active actuation for attachment or detachment. The passive tool structure engages with the active robot flange, which provides all necessary actuation forces through its locking members, making the tool side self-sufficient without additional actuators.
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 robots to safely and efficiently exchange utensils, maintain cleanliness, and handle food preparation tasks with reduced complexity and cost, improving meal assembly speed, accuracy, and sanitation in quick service environments.
Implementation Method 1
The system further includes a compression spring within the housing. The compression spring is coupled with the actuating rod.
Data Source
AI summary
A problem with current food service robots is making the robots safe to work around food. A solution provided by the present disclosure is a food-safe tool switcher and corresponding tool. The tool switcher can mate with a variety of tools, which can be molded or 3D printed out of food-safe materials into a single-part, instead of constructed modularly. This provides for easier cleaning.