Gripper Head with Adjustable Clamping Force for Cloth Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gripper heads for industrial laundries face challenges in handling cloth pieces of different materials and weights, particularly in avoiding clamping marks on delicate materials and ensuring secure grip and release of large or heavy pieces.
Innovation Solution
The gripper head incorporates an actuator that selectively applies a first low clamping force for delicate materials and a higher clamping force for non-delicate materials, using a combination of conveyor belts and a spring mechanism to manage cloth pieces of varying sizes and weights, with a controller determining the appropriate force based on cloth type or size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring mechanism is used to provide clamping force, then the gripper head can hold pieces of cloth during transport, but delicate materials may be damaged by clamping marks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the clamping force adjustable rather than fixed. The actuator mechanism allows the clamping force to be dynamically changed based on the weight and material type of the cloth piece being handled. This resolves the contradiction by enabling low clamping force for delicate materials to avoid marks, while providing high clamping force for heavy materials to ensure reliable holding.
2Reliability
If a fixed clamping force is applied, then the gripper head can securely hold heavy pieces of cloth, but delicate materials will be damaged by excessive pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the clamping force parameter according to the specific cloth piece being handled. The controller receives input about the cloth weight and type, then adjusts the actuator to apply the appropriate clamping force. This allows the system to optimize between secure gripping for heavy materials and gentle handling for delicate materials, eliminating the need for a fixed clamping force.
3Reliability
If the gripper head is designed for one type of cloth, then it can handle that specific material effectively, but it cannot process batches of different cloth materials and weights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the gripper head to handle multiple types of cloth materials and weights with a single device. The combination of weight sensors, adjustable actuator mechanism, and controller enables the gripper to adapt its clamping force for different material types. This makes the gripper head universal, capable of effectively handling delicate materials, heavy materials, and everything in between, eliminating the need for multiple specialized grippers.
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 solution enables reliable gripping, holding, and releasing of diverse cloth types without leaving clamping marks, ensuring secure handling of both delicate and heavy pieces by adjusting clamping forces dynamically.
Implementation Method 1
A spring acts to turn and bias one of the two conveyor belts towards a cloth nipping position, allowing a piece of cloth to be held in the cloth nipping zone, sandwiched between the two conveyor belts
Implementation Method 2
receiving a piece of cloth is done by activating the conveyor belts to move in one direction when the gripper head is in a receiving position, such that a portion of a piece of cloth in contact with the conveyor belts is drawn into the nipping zone by friction
Data Source
AI summary
A gripper head adapted to grip, hold and release a piece of cloth, including a first part and a second part with respective conveyor belts, an actuator, such as a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator or a motor, connected with the second part and configured for turning the second part relative to the first part to apply in a cloth nipping position a first clamping force on a piece of cloth, and a controller connected with the actuator and configured to control the actuator for the second part to selectively apply in a cloth nipping position a second, higher clamping force when the conveyor belts are temporarily stopped with a nipping zone filled by a portion of the piece of cloth.