Integrated Pick and Place Device for Diagnostics Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automated pick and place devices in clinical diagnostics automation systems require separate drives for rotational and gripping motions, leading to increased size, complexity, and susceptibility to fatigue failures due to flexed wires or hoses.
Innovation Solution
A pick and place device with a single motor and encoder that integrates both gripping and rotational functions using a yoke and movable finger mounts, with springs for maintaining grip in case of power loss, eliminating the need for external wires or hoses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate drives are used for rotational and gripping motions, then each function can be independently controlled, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate drives (one for rotation, one for gripping) into a single integrated drive mechanism. The motor shaft directly provides rotational motion to the yoke, while the spring-loaded fingers provide gripping motion through elastic deformation, eliminating the need for separate actuators and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single motor shaft serves multiple functions: it provides rotational motion for reorienting the item and also drives the gripping mechanism through the yoke-finger assembly. This multi-functional design reduces the number of components while maintaining independent control capabilities for both rotation and gripping operations.
2Ease of operation
If separate drives with wires or hoses are used, then each component can be independently powered, but susceptibility to fatigue failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the vulnerable wires and hoses from the system by using a direct mechanical coupling between the motor shaft and the yoke-finger assembly. The spring-loaded fingers are directly actuated by the motor shaft through rigid mechanical connections, removing the flexible conduits that are prone to fatigue failures from repeated flexing.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded fingers automatically return to their neutral position and maintain gripping force without requiring external power sources or control signals. The elastic deformation of the springs provides self-contained actuation, eliminating the need for additional wiring or hoses that would be susceptible to fatigue.
3Device complexity
If a compact design with integrated functions is used, then device size and complexity are reduced, but reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates spring-loaded fingers that inherently absorb shocks and accommodate variations in item geometry before gripping. The elastic springs provide a cushioning effect that protects the rigid motor shaft and yoke from stress concentrations, preventing fatigue failures while maintaining a compact integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded fingers change their physical state through elastic deformation to adapt to different gripping requirements. This parameter change (from rigid to flexible during gripping) allows the integrated mechanism to handle variations in item size and shape reliably, maintaining both compactness and robustness.
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 provides a compact, cost-effective, and reliable device that reduces fatigue failures by integrating both motion functions into a single system, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of item transfer and orientation in clinical diagnostics automation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring fixedly coupled between the yoke and the first movable finger mount. The first spring is configured to apply a first inward force to the first movable finger mount toward the second movable finger mount
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2B
AI summary
A pick and place device for use in an in vitro diagnostics automation system is provided that includes a motor and a rotatable motor shaft coupled to the motor and a gripping assembly. The gripping assembly includes a yoke selectively coupled to the rotatable motor shaft and configured to rotate with the rotatable motor shaft when the yoke is coupled to the rotatable motor shaft. The gripping assembly also includes a first movable finger mount and a second movable finger mount each coupled to the rotatable motor shaft and configured to move toward each other and away from each other in a linear direction responsive to the rotation of the motor shaft when the yoke is uncoupled from the rotatable motor shaft. Fingers extending from the movable finger mounts are configured to move toward each other and away from each other in the linear direction and rotate with the yoke.