High-pegosity Patch Gripper With Anti-adhesion Foam
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gripper systems fail to effectively apply patches of highly sticky materials to surfaces as they tend to stick more to the gripper than the target surface, leading to detachment issues during application.
Innovation Solution
A gripper system with a selectively activatable pneumatic gripping system, deformable foam, and a deformable interface material with anti-adhesion treatment, such as perforated materials or coatings like polytetrafluoroethylene, to reduce adhesion between the patch and the gripper while promoting adhesion to the target surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pneumatic gripper is used to grasp sticky patches, then the patch can be held and positioned, but the patch adheres more strongly to the gripper surface than to the target part
Solution Approach 1:
A Teflon-coated deformable foam intermediary is introduced between the gripper surface and the patch. The Teflon coating provides low adhesion properties preventing the patch from sticking to the gripper, while the deformable foam structure allows the gripper to maintain contact and apply controlled pressure. This intermediary layer enables the patch to be held for positioning without adhering strongly to the gripper surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesion parameters of the gripper surface are modified by applying a Teflon coating, which fundamentally changes the surface energy and adhesion characteristics. This parameter change reduces the adhesion force between the gripper and the patch from a high-stick state to a low-stick state, allowing the patch to be held without strong adhesion.
2Reliability
If positive pneumatic pressure is applied to increase patch adhesion to the target part, then the patch adheres better to the target, but the patch sticks more strongly to the gripper surface
Solution Approach 1:
The Teflon-coated foam acts as a mediator that decouples the pressure application function from the adhesion function. It allows positive pneumatic pressure to be applied to the patch for better adhesion to the target part, while the Teflon coating ensures that this pressure does not translate into strong adhesion to the gripper surface.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the gripper surface is made non-sticky to prevent patch adhesion, then the patch does not stick to the gripper, but the gripper cannot effectively grasp and hold the patch for positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable foam provides localized compliance and contact pressure where needed for grasping and positioning, while the Teflon coating provides a non-sticky quality across the surface to prevent adhesion. This spatial differentiation of properties allows the gripper to simultaneously achieve grasping capability and adhesion prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable foam provides dynamic adaptation to the patch shape and positioning requirements, allowing the gripper to conform to different patch geometries while the Teflon coating maintains its non-sticky property. This dynamic deformability enables effective grasping without compromising the anti-adhesion characteristic.
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 system ensures that patches adhere correctly to the target surface by minimizing sticking to the gripper, allowing for successful application and maintaining contact without detachment, even for highly sticky materials.
Implementation Method 1
the gripper grasps the patch by suction, creating a vacuum that allows the patch to press against the gripper
Implementation Method 2
The deformable foam 3 allows in particular the patch 6 to be pressed against a piece by conforming to the shape of the latter
Implementation Method 3
the interface material comprises an anti-adhesion treatment on its face intended to be in contact with the patch
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7
AI summary
This gripper (8) for applying a patch (6) to a surface, comprises an activatable gripping system (2), a deformable foam (3) positioned against the gripping system (2), and a deformable interface material (9) positioned against the deformable foam (3) opposite the gripping system (2), said interface material (9) comprising an anti-adhesion treatment on its face intended to be in contact with the patch (6).