Needle Gripper Adjustable Stroke Depth Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reliability of needle grippers is compromised due to inadequate adjustment of needle stroke depth, leading to unreliable workpiece handling and increased maintenance needs, particularly when handling fiber materials.
Innovation Solution
A needle gripper design featuring a gripping unit, drive unit, and adjustable stroke depth mechanism, where the guide carriage's movement is coupled with the drive actuator, allowing for precise adjustment of needle stroke depth without an axial stop, and incorporating a guide relief for easy maintenance and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the needle stroke depth is not adjusted according to workpiece properties, then the gripping reliability deteriorates, but adding adjustment mechanisms increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the stop for the drive piston can be axially repositioned along the piston rod. This allows the needle stroke depth to be adapted to different workpiece thicknesses and properties, ensuring reliable gripping while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure through a single adjustable parameter rather than multiple complex systems
2Adaptability or versatility
If the piston stroke is adjusted by changing the axial position of the stop, then the needle stroke depth can be adapted, but this requires additional adjustment operations and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a maintenance opening that provides direct access to the adjustment mechanism for the stop position. This allows operators to quickly reposition the stop and adjust the needle stroke depth without time-consuming disassembly operations, enabling rapid adaptation to different workpiece requirements while maintaining the necessary adaptability
3Reliability
If gripping needles repeatedly penetrate fiber workpieces, then workpiece handling reliability improves, but fiber parts are drawn into the gripper requiring maintenance and cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gripper structure into separable components by providing a maintenance opening that allows the needle carriage or relevant components to be removed from the gripper housing. This segmentation enables easy access for cleaning and maintenance of fiber-contaminated parts while maintaining the integrated functioning of the gripper during operation, thus preserving handling reliability while improving maintainability
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a needle gripper comprising a gripper unit having a gripping surface (20) facing the workpiece to be gripped, and at least one needle carriage (32) having at least one gripping needle (22), wherein the at least one needle carriage can be displaced into an active position, in which the gripping needle is extended across the gripping surface by a needle stroke depth (24), and into a passive position, in which the gripping needle is retracted. The needle gripper further comprises a drive unit having a drive actuator (26) that an be driven back and forth along a drive direction. The drive actuator is movably coupled to the needle carriage such that the needle carriage can be moved into the passive position and into the active position by driving the drive actuator forth and back. The needle gripper further comprises an adjusting device (34) for adjusting the needle stroke depth, which has a guide carriage (38) that can be displaced vertically to the drive direction along a guide direction (36), and a limit stop (54) for the guide carriage, wherein by means of a connection arm (42), the drive actuator is movably coupled to the guide carriage such that upon moving the drive actuator backwards, the guide carriage is moved in the direction toward the limit stop (54), and a further backward movement of the drive actuator is prevented.