Segmented Soft Grip Head for Openings and Curved Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum grippers face challenges in gripping obstacles with openings or curved shapes due to insufficient gripping force, reduced attaching area, and inefficiencies when using multiple pads, which can lead to failed gripping and decreased suction force.
Innovation Solution
A soft grip head with a suction pad divided by a sidewall into suction cells, where the flexible supporting part has a lower axial stiffness than width stiffness, allowing the suction pad to change shape with suction force and prevent blockage, while maintaining a larger attaching area and efficient suction force application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a single vacuum pad is used to grip an obstacle with an opening, then the pad can cover the opening area, but the gripping force is insufficient because the opening allows air to pass through
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pad is divided into multiple suction cells by sidewalls, creating separate sealed compartments. This segmentation prevents air from passing through openings in the obstacle by confining the vacuum to individual cells, thereby maintaining effective gripping force even when the obstacle has openings.
2Ease of operation
If a vacuum pad with smaller size is used to evade the opening of the obstacle, then the pad can avoid the opening, but the attaching area decreases and thus the gripping force decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the pad into multiple suction cells, the system can use a larger overall pad area while maintaining sealing effectiveness. Each cell independently seals around the obstacle, allowing the total attaching area to be maximized without being compromised by openings in the obstacle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a vacuum pad with increased flexibility is used to grip a curved obstacle, then the pad can conform to the curved shape, but the border line of the pad curls inside the pad requiring additional guide structures
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cells are designed to be flexible and dynamically adapt to the shape of the obstacle. The cellular structure allows the pad to conform to curved surfaces while the sidewalls prevent the border line from curling inward, eliminating the need for additional guide structures.
4Area of stationary object
If multiple vacuum pads are used to grip an obstacle, then the pads can cover larger areas, but spaces form between adjacent pads decreasing the entire attaching area and gripping efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple suction cells are merged into a single integrated suction pad structure. This eliminates the spaces and gaps that would exist between separate pads while maintaining the ability to cover large areas, thereby improving gripping efficiency and maximizing the effective attaching area.
5Adaptability or versatility
If multiple vacuum pads are used with separate negative pressure lines, then each pad can be independently controlled, but the gripping force decreases when pads are not tightly attached and gripping may fail
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pad is segmented into multiple cells that can be independently controlled through separate negative pressure lines. The sidewalls ensure that each cell maintains its sealing integrity, preventing air leakage even when the pad is not perfectly flat against the obstacle, thereby improving gripping reliability while maintaining independent control capability.
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 design enhances gripping efficiency by preventing suction cell blockage and maintaining a stable suction force, effectively gripping obstacles with various shapes and sizes.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum gripper uses a negative pressure applied by a vacuum pump, to absorb and grip an obstacle
Implementation Method 2
The flexible supporting part has a lower axial stiffness than width stiffness, allowing the suction pad to change shape with suction force
Data Source
AI summary
In a soft grip head, a soft grip unit having the soft grip head, and a grip device having the soft grip unit, the soft grip head has a suction pad and the suction pad makes contact with an object. The suction pad includes a sidewall and a plurality of suction cells. The sidewall divides the suction pad into a plurality of spaces, and both ends of each of the spaces are open. A plurality of suction cells is respectively formed by the spaces divided by the sidewall. The suction pad includes a material having a stiffness along an axial direction smaller than a stiffness along a width direction. The suction cells extend along the axial direction, and the width direction is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction.