Gripper Assembly Support Surface for Stable Product Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gripper assemblies struggle to reproducibly and stably transport and position products, particularly food items, without causing rotation or deformation during dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A gripper assembly with a product carrier and a support element that moves away from under the product during dispensing, using a support surface to maintain the product's shape and orientation, and optionally allowing for controlled rotation by engaging or disengaging the support element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the product carrier moves away from under the product during dispensing, then the product is dispensed, but the product may rotate or deform due to lack of support
Solution Approach 1:
A support element is introduced as an intermediary component between the product carrier and the product. This support element temporarily holds the product during the dispensing movement, preventing rotation and deformation. The support element acts as a mediator that enables the product carrier to move away while maintaining product stability, resolving the contradiction between dispensing capability and orientation precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the support element is used to prevent rotation, then product orientation is maintained, but the ability to perform controlled rotation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is designed with movable degrees of freedom, allowing it to adapt its position and orientation dynamically. This enables the system to switch between two operational modes: with the support element engaged to maintain orientation stability, and with the support element disengaged to allow controlled rotation. The dynamic design resolves the contradiction by making the support function conditional rather than fixed.
3Productivity
If the product carrier moves quickly for efficient dispensing, then productivity increases, but product stability during transport decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is positioned and configured in advance to provide immediate support when the product carrier begins its dispensing movement. This preliminary positioning ensures that as the product carrier moves quickly, the support element is already in place to prevent product instability, resolving the contradiction between dispensing speed and product stability during transport.
Data Source
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AI summary
A gripper arrangement (1) comprises a main body (5), a product carrier (9), and a support element (15). The product carrier (9) comprises a transport surface (11) for receiving a product (3) to be transported. The support element (15) is attached to the main body (5) and comprises a support surface (17). The product carrier (9) is movably attached to the main body (5) along a working direction (13) defined relative to the main body (5). The product carrier (9) is configured to move away from under the product (3) received on the transport surface (11) along the working direction (13) during a dispensing movement for dispensing a product (3) received on the transport surface (11). The support surface (17) is configured to at least temporarily support a part (43) of the product (3) from under which the product carrier (9) has moved during the dispensing movement.