Side-Suction and Bottom-Support Gripper for Secure Box Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots face challenges in securely gripping and transporting materials from containers with borders, top plates, and partition layers due to gravitational pull, leading to easy escape and wear of grippers.
Innovation Solution
A side suction and bottom supporting gripper for loading-unloading robots, featuring a gripper body with a movable suction pad structure and a bottom supporting mechanism driven by an actuator module, allowing simultaneous movement in opposite directions to securely grasp and release boxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional gripper is used to fetch materials from containers with borders, top plates and partition layers, then the gripper can access the materials, but the gripper easily escapes from the materials due to gravitational pull and suffers from wear and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper is divided into two independent functional parts: a suction pad structure for side suction and a bottom supporting mechanism for bottom support. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally - the suction pad creates negative pressure to hold the box while the bottom support provides mechanical reinforcement against gravitational pull, preventing both escape and wear damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines two different gripping mechanisms (suction and mechanical support) into a single integrated gripper system. The suction pad structure and bottom supporting mechanism work together simultaneously to provide both adhesive holding force and mechanical support, creating a composite gripping action that overcomes the limitations of either mechanism alone.
2Ease of operation
If the suction pad structure moves to grip the box while the bottom supporting mechanism remains stationary, then the suction can be applied, but the gripper cannot efficiently release the box
Solution Approach 1:
Both the suction pad structure and bottom supporting mechanism are designed as movable components that can independently adjust their positions. The suction pad can move forward to apply suction and backward to release it, while the bottom support can extend to provide support and retract to clear the box. This dynamic design enables efficient gripping and releasing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Before the suction pad applies suction to the box, the bottom supporting mechanism can preliminarily position itself to provide support. Similarly, before releasing the box, the suction pad can preliminarily move to a position that facilitates easy release. This preliminary positioning of both components streamlines the gripping and releasing processes.
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
Enables secure handling of materials in containers with limited space, preventing escape and damage, and facilitating efficient loading, unloading, palletizing, and de-palletizing operations.
Implementation Method 1
a suction pad structure provided with a sucker array thereon, where the sucker array is used to suck a target box
Data Source
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AI summary
A side suction and bottom supporting gripper for a loading-unloading robot and a loading-unloading robot, include: a gripper body, where both of a first guide rail and second guide rail extend in a length direction of the gripper body; a suction pad structure, which is provided with a sucker array thereon, where the sucker array is used to suck a target box, the suction pad structure is connected to the first guide rail through a first slider and is slidable along the first guide rail; a bottom supporting mechanism, which is located on a bottom side of the gripper body, where the bottom supporting mechanism is connected to the second guide rail through a second slider and is slidable along the second guide rail; and an actuator module, which is connected to the suction pad structure and the bottom supporting mechanism through a driving transmission mechanism.