Robotic End Effector for Screw Lid Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic systems require separate control of multiple hands to open and close screw-type lids, leading to increased operating time, cost, and the risk of lid misalignment due to slip between the lid and the hand.
Innovation Solution
An end effector equipped with a container gripper, a lid gripper movable along a screw axis, a rotating part to rotate the lid gripper, a guiding part to ensure smooth movement along the screw axis, and a detector to confirm the opened or closed position of the lid, allowing for single-end effector operation to open and close screw-type lids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate hands grip the container body and lid respectively and rotate the lid to open it, then the lid can be opened, but the operating time increases and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the container gripping function and lid rotating function into a single end effector. The end effector includes a container gripping portion that holds the container body and a lid rotating portion that rotates the lid, both integrated into one device. This merging eliminates the need for separate hands, reduces operating time, and simplifies control while maintaining reliable lid opening through the integrated structure.
2Reliability
If separate hands grip the container body and lid respectively, then the lid can be opened, but the control cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single end effector device. The end effector includes a container gripping portion for holding the container body and a lid rotating portion for rotating the lid, both controlled from a single control unit. This merging reduces control complexity and cost while maintaining reliable lid opening operations.
3Measurement precision
If the lid opening state is determined based on rotational angle of the hand, then the opening can be detected, but slip between lid and hand causes the lid to remain closed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a detector that directly detects whether the lid is in the opened or closed state. This feedback mechanism provides accurate information about the lid's actual position, eliminating the problem of slip between the lid and hand that occurs with rotational angle-based detection. The detector ensures reliable opening detection by directly monitoring the lid state rather than inferring it from hand rotation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(A)~2(B)
Figure 3
AI summary
An end effector configured to open and close a screw-type lid for closing an opening of a container body, is provided, which includes a container gripper configured to grip the container body, a lid gripper configured to grip the lid and be movable on a screw axis of the lid, a rotating part configured to rotate the lid gripper, a guiding part configured to guide the lid gripper being rotated by the rotating part to move on the screw axis, and a detector configured to detect that the lid gripper is moved to one of an opened position and a closed position of the lid. According to this, the end effector capable of appropriately opening and closing the screw-type lid while gripping the container body can be configured.