Guarded Plate Gripper for Precise Release and Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grippers struggle with precise handling and delivery of thin, plate-shaped items like cardboard plates carrying food, particularly failing to maintain them in position during acceleration and deceleration, and risking cross-contamination.
Innovation Solution
A gripper design with movable jaw members and guard structures that lift items upright, preventing lateral sliding and ensuring precise release, using materials suitable for food handling and actuator-controlled movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing pick and place devices are used to handle plate shaped items, then the handling speed may be adequate, but the precision of delivery and arrangement of items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper is divided into separate functional components: jaw members for gripping and guards for positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - jaws provide grip force while guards ensure precise lateral positioning, resolving the contradiction between handling speed and delivery precision
Solution Approach 2:
The guards act as intermediary elements between the jaw members and the plate shaped item. They mediate the positioning function by providing lateral contact surfaces that guide the item to a precise delivery location without interfering with the gripping action, thus maintaining both speed and precision
2Stability of the object's composition
If existing grippers are used to catch plate shaped items from a plane surface, then the gripping action may be simple, but the ability to maintain items in a fixed position during acceleration and deceleration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The solution adds a lateral positioning dimension through the guards, which are arranged perpendicular to the gripping direction. This creates a two-dimensional constraint system where jaws control vertical grip force and guards control lateral position, ensuring stability during acceleration and deceleration without excessive structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the gripper are given different functional qualities: the jaw members are designed for gripping force application while the guards are designed specifically for lateral positioning and stabilization. This local differentiation of function achieves position stability without requiring the entire gripper structure to be complex
3Reliability
If existing grippers are used for handling food items, then the handling capability may be sufficient, but the risk of cross-contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guards are extracted as separate components from the traditional single-piece gripper design. This extraction creates a physical barrier that prevents direct contact between the jaw members and the food-carrying surface of the plates, thereby preventing cross-contamination while maintaining simple operation through the same actuator-controlled jaw movement
4Force
If the jaw members are designed to grip items tightly, then the gripping force is sufficient, but the ability to release items precisely deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guards serve as intermediary elements that take over the positioning function during release. When the jaw members open to release the item, the guards maintain lateral contact with the plate edges, ensuring the item is delivered to the precise intended location without requiring the jaw members to maintain tight grip during the release motion
Data Source
AI summary
A gripper for gripping an item, particularly a plate shaped item, includes a base, and a first jaw member and a second jaw member movable to grip the item. To ensure release of the item from the jaw members and thereby precise delivery of the item, the gripper comprises a guard structure forming contact surfaces located such that inner surfaces of the other jaw member moves between positions on opposite sides of the contact surface when the item is gripped and released.