Gripper Unit Curved Slot Mechanism for Glass Container Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gripper units for transporting container glass risk damaging the glass container mouth or neck due to excessive finger speed, and existing speed control methods are inaccurate and slow down the production process.
Innovation Solution
A gripper unit with a reciprocating piston drive and rotatably mounted finger holders featuring a curved slot mechanism that gradually reduces the angular velocity of the gripper fingers, allowing for a gentle grip and precise control of the closing movement, independent of pneumatic air supply adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the gripper fingers move quickly to maintain fast overall movement, then productivity is improved, but the glass container mouth or neck is damaged due to excessive finger speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a curved cam surface with a specifically designed profile that converts the linear motion of the piston rod into rotational motion of the finger holders. The curvature of the cam surface creates a velocity profile where the gripper fingers initially move quickly during the opening phase, then gradually slow down during the closing phase to gently grasp the container, avoiding damage to the mouth or neck while maintaining fast overall movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism dynamically adjusts the speed of the gripper fingers during the closing cycle. The cam-driven system provides varying angular velocity to the finger holders, with the rotation speed changing continuously as the piston rod moves. This dynamic speed control allows rapid opening and positioning, followed by a controlled deceleration during the final closing phase to prevent damage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pneumatic air supply is reduced to slow down gripper fingers, then damage to container is prevented, but the overall movement speed is reduced and production process is slowed down
Solution Approach 1:
The curved cam surface is specifically profiled to create the desired velocity distribution without requiring pneumatic pressure adjustments. The geometry of the cam curve inherently controls the angular velocity of the finger holders, providing fast initial movement followed by automatic deceleration during closing, eliminating the need to reduce overall system speed to prevent damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing movement is segmented into distinct phases with different speed requirements. The cam mechanism separates the rapid positioning phase from the gentle closing phase, allowing each phase to occur at the optimal speed. This segmentation enables the system to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring careful final contact with the container.
3Device complexity
If simple needle valves are used to control gripper speed, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and process reproducibility are lost due to inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic control system with needle valves (which provide imprecise speed control) with a mechanically precise cam-driven system. The cam surface geometry is manufactured with high precision to ensure accurate and reproducible velocity profiles. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for manual valve adjustments while providing consistent, accurate speed control for the gripper fingers.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of controlling speed through variable pneumatic pressure (which is difficult to control precisely), the system changes the geometric parameter of the cam surface. By precisely manufacturing the cam curve with specific dimensions and curvature, the velocity profile is determined by the fixed geometric parameters rather than variable pneumatic settings, ensuring high repeatability and precision.
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 solution enables careful gripping and transportation of glass containers without damaging the mouth or neck, while maintaining a fast overall movement and ensuring process reproducibility by precisely controlling the speed of the gripper fingers.
Implementation Method 1
They have, at the end opposite to the mounted fingers, a flat curved part provided with an elongated hole curving outwards towards the lifting cylinder. The front end of the piston rod is provided with a crossbeam, which carries a bolt at each end transversely to the crossbeam, which extends through the slot of the curved part of the respective finger holder located at the relevant end of the crossbeam and can slide in the slot.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The gripper unit comprises a pneumatic, hydraulic or electric reciprocating-piston drive in which a piston rod (7) moves two rotatably arranged finger holders (10) in its extension movement in such a way that the fingers arranged in the finger holder move to each other from an opening position for gripping container glass. The finger holder rotatably arranged in an interval to a lifting cylinder in the movement line of the piston rod comprises a flat curved part at the end opposite to the fingers to be mounted, where the part is equipped with an elongated hole. The gripper unit comprises a pneumatic, hydraulic or electric reciprocating-piston drive in which a piston rod (7) moves two rotatably arranged finger holders (10) in its extension movement in such a way that the fingers arranged in the finger holder move to each other from an opening position for gripping container glass. The finger holder rotatably arranged in an interval to a lifting cylinder in the movement line of the piston rod comprises a flat curved part at the end opposite to the fingers to be mounted, where the part is equipped with an elongated hole (12) running in the direction of the lifting cylinder. The piston pole is equipped at its front end with a cross member (13) that carries a bolt (14) at each end diagonally to the cross member, where the bolt grips the respective finger holders through the elongated hole of the curved part present at the relevant end of the cross member. The curve progress of the elongated hole is selected in the curved part of the finger holder in such a way that the ends of the finger holder move during extending the piston rod from a widening position in which the bolts adjoin at upper end of the elongated hole. A revolving bearing of the finger holder is arranged at a projection of the housing of the lifting cylinder. The bolts are equipped at the cross member to the side of the curved part opposite to the cross-member, with a disk secured by a splint. The fingers are mounted on the finger holder by plug connection and snapping using screws. The ends of the finger holder to which the fingers are mounted are connected parallel to each other, in the extending position in the piston rod and the fingers at 30[deg] . The flow of the welding movement of the finger holder is variable through changing the curve progress of the elongated hole. The finger holders are interchangeable for changing the curve progress. The axis at which the finger holders are revolvably arranged is configured for exchanging the finger holders in manually retractable manner.