Suction Gripper Debris Filter Segmented Porous Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suction grippers face challenges in dusty environments due to clogging of inline filters, leading to reduced vacuum strength and frequent maintenance needs, which results in significant downtime.
Innovation Solution
An attachable filter with a porous design is integrated into the suction gripper system, blocking large objects while allowing air and small particles to pass through, reducing clogging and maintaining airflow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an inline filter is installed in the suction gripper system, then large objects are blocked from entering the vacuum motor, but the filter quickly clogs with dust in high particulate environments, reducing vacuum strength and requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup is divided into multiple perforations of different sizes, creating a segmented filtration system where each perforation handles different particle sizes. This segmentation allows the system to filter dust and particulates while maintaining airflow, preventing the complete clogging that occurs with single inline filters.
Solution Approach 2:
The filtering function is extracted from the traditional inline filter location and integrated directly into the suction cup structure. By embedding the filter mechanism within the suction cup itself, the system eliminates the separate inline filter component that becomes a bottleneck and requires frequent maintenance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional inline filter is used, then large objects are blocked, but the filter clogs frequently with dust, reducing volumetric flow rate and vacuum strength
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup incorporates a porous structure with multiple perforations of varying sizes. This porous design allows dust and fine particulates to pass through while still blocking larger objects, maintaining high volumetric flow rates without the clogging issues of traditional dense filter media.
Solution Approach 2:
The filtering approach transitions from a single-plane inline filter to a multi-dimensional porous structure within the suction cup. The varying sizes and distributions of perforations create multiple filtration dimensions, allowing efficient particle separation while maintaining airflow capacity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the suction gripper operates in high particulate environments, then it can handle flexible objects like plastic bags, but contaminants accumulate and foul the internal vacuum motor
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup with its integrated porous structure performs preliminary filtration at the point of contact with the object. By filtering contaminants before they enter the vacuum motor, the system prevents contaminant accumulation that would otherwise occur during operation in high particulate environments.
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 attachable filter extends the operational period of the suction gripper by preventing clogging from large objects and maintaining high volumetric flow rates, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and downtime.
Implementation Method 1
An attachable filter with a porous design is integrated into the suction gripper system, blocking large objects while allowing air and small particles to pass through
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a material sorting system comprises: a suction gripper assembly, the suction gripper comprising: a body assembly that includes: an internal airflow passage configured to communicate an airflow between an airflow application port positioned at a first end of the body assembly and a gripping port positioned at the opposing second end of the body assembly; a cup fitting attached to the gripping port; a suction cup secured to the cup fitting; an attachable filter inserted into the suction cup and fastened to the cup fitting; and a mounting assembly, wherein the mounting assembly includes one or more mounting points for pivotally attaching the suction gripper assembly to a sorting robot of the material sorting system.