Sheet Stack Gripper Using Slit Insertion and Rotating Flap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices struggle to efficiently handle stacks of sheet elements, such as fabric or metal sheets, adjacent to each other without unravelling them, especially when access is limited to small cutting slits or gaps, restricting handling freedom and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device with a hollow shank and a rotatable, telescopically movable grip rod with a flap allows penetration through slits to grip and suspend stacks from below, using a robotic arm for manipulation, and incorporates adjustment means for secure holding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional clamps are used to grip stacks of sheet elements, then the stacks can be handled in open areas, but access is blocked in areas with cutting slits or adjacent stacks
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of gripping the stack from the top or sides like conventional clamps, the device inverts the approach by inserting a rod through the bottom of the stack upwardly through the hollow shank. This allows gripping through cutting slits or gaps at the bottom edge, enabling access in areas where conventional clamps cannot reach.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from conventional horizontal or lateral gripping to vertical insertion through the bottom edge of the stack. The rod moves along the vertical dimension through the hollow shank, allowing access through small cutting slits that would be inaccessible to traditional clamp-based systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If the device structure is simplified for easy manufacture, then production cost decreases, but the ability to grip securely through small slits is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping device is segmented into distinct functional components: a hollow shank for structural support and insertion, a rod for upward movement, and a flap at the rod's lower end for actual gripping. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simple processes while collectively achieving reliable gripping through small slits.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for handling elements comprises a shank provided with a stop; a rod which is longitudinally movable and rotatable with respect to the shank, comprising a flap at one end thereof, so as to define a clamp between the stop and the flap for gripping an element. A method comprises placing elements separated by at least one slit on a surface; inserting a tip of a shank provided with a flap inside the slit; placing a stop in contact with an upper part of the element; rotating the shank, holding the element on the upper part by the stop and on a lower part by the flap; and separating the element.