Robot End Effector Automatic Cleaning and Swapping Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robots used in the food industry for handling food products face hygiene issues due to contamination of end effectors, which requires complex and time-consuming manual cleaning, disrupting robot operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an automatic cleaning method for end effectors based on predefined criteria, where the robot decouples and cleans the soiled end effector within a dedicated cleaning device, allowing for continuous operation and minimal interruption, using a cleaning device that can store and swap clean replacements, ensuring thorough cleaning without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cleaning of the end effector is performed, then hygiene quality is improved, but operation time is reduced and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector is equipped with a self-cleaning capability through integrated cleaning elements (such as cleaning nozzles or brushes) that automatically clean the end effector surface during or after operation, eliminating the need for manual cleaning interventions and maintaining continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
Cleaning elements are positioned and activated in advance to prevent contamination buildup on the end effector, performing cleaning actions before significant contamination occurs, thus maintaining hygiene quality without stopping operation
2Reliability
If the end effector is decoupled for cleaning, then cleaning quality is improved, but productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning function is separated from the main robot system by using detachable cleaning elements or modular cleaning units that can be attached only when needed, allowing the end effector to remain coupled and operational while cleaning components are independently activated
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning process is designed to occur during idle transitions or in parallel with ongoing operations, such as cleaning the end effector while it is positioned between picking and placing operations, ensuring continuous productivity without interruption
3Reliability
If frequent cleaning is performed, then hygiene quality is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors detect the contamination level of the end effector in real-time and provide feedback to the control system, which activates cleaning only when contamination thresholds are exceeded, optimizing cleaning frequency based on actual hygiene needs rather than fixed schedules
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector is cleaned at regular periodic intervals during operation cycles, such as after a predetermined number of picking-placing operations or at scheduled pause points, maintaining hygiene quality with predictable, minimal time loss
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The method involves automatically cleaning an end effector (16) with satisfaction of a cleaning criterion, where the end effector is coupled to a kinematic mechanism (14) for transferring portions (21) of food product. The end effector is automatically moved into an effective region of a cleaning device (34) for cleaning the end effector. The end effector is decoupled from the kinematic mechanism before a cleaning process. A replacement end effector (40) is coupled to the kinematic mechanism after decoupling the former end effector. An independent claim is also included for an apparatus for operating a robot.