Parallel Pneumatic Gripper with Coaxial Guide Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional parallel pneumatic grippers have limited clamping power due to small piston diameters and are prone to seal wear, allowing dirt and fluids to penetrate, reducing efficiency and operational life, especially in wet environments.
Innovation Solution
The gripper design eliminates guide columns along the sides of the piston chambers, allowing larger diameter control pistons and direct attachment of guide columns to pistons, enhancing sealing and thrust force utilization, with a movable intermediate connector for synchronized jaw movement and robust seals for protection against external agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If guide columns are positioned along the sides of piston chambers, then jaw guidance is provided, but piston diameter is limited and clamping power is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide columns are merged with the piston assembly, where guide columns are attached directly to the piston stems rather than being separate side-mounted components. This integration allows the guide columns to be positioned coaxially with the pistons, maximizing the usable piston diameter within the chamber while maintaining guidance functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide columns are repositioned from a lateral arrangement (along the sides of chambers) to a coaxial arrangement (along the axis of piston movement). This dimensional repositioning frees up lateral space in the piston chambers, allowing for larger piston diameters and consequently higher clamping power without increasing the overall gripper envelope dimensions.
2Reliability
If seals are provided on piston stems and guide columns, then sealing is achieved, but seal wear allows dirt and fluid penetration reducing efficiency and working life
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the traditional piston stem and guide column interfaces and relocated to the piston chamber walls. seals are arranged between the piston bodies and the chamber walls, creating sealing interfaces that are stationary relative to the chamber and do not subject to the same wear mechanisms as traditional stem seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston body itself acts as an intermediary sealing element between the pneumatic chamber and the external environment. By positioning seals at the interface between the piston body and chamber wall, the design creates a protected sealing zone that prevents dirt and fluid penetration while maintaining reliable sealing performance.
3Force
If larger piston diameter is used to increase clamping power, then gripping force improves, but gripper volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide columns are repositioned from a lateral arrangement to a coaxial arrangement, which frees up lateral space in the piston chambers. This allows for larger piston diameters without increasing the overall envelope dimensions of the gripper body, thereby increasing clamping power without proportionally increasing volume and weight.
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
This design increases clamping power, reduces volume and weight, ensures reliable operation, and prevents dirt and fluid penetration, achieving a higher degree of protection and efficiency compared to conventional grippers.
Implementation Method 1
pneumatic control pistons which are movable within a chamber formed in the gripper body in opposite directions with respect to each other
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pneumatic gripper which comprises a gripper body (21,121), at least two pneumatic control pistons (23) operating within at least one chamber (22,122) defined by the gripper body and movable in opposite directions with respect to each other by a driving fluid supplied to the chamber, at least two guide columns (34) associated with each piston and emerging from the ends of at least the chamber, and at least two jaws (37) movable with the pistons between an active position for gripping a work-piece and an inactive position for releasing the work-piece. The guide columns (34) are attached directly in front of and inside the profile of a respective piston (23), and each gripping jaw (37) may be attached directly to the ends of the columns of a relevant control piston.